MY TOP RESOURCES FOR ENTREPRENEURS.

I can’t tell you how often I get asked about books, courses, and resources in general for humans starting or running a business.

This episode is about to blow your freaking mind if that’s you.

Imma list off and break down all my favorite courses for building an online business. As well as resources for possible specific pieces of that business like podcasting, email, blogging & brand deals, launches, creating PDF’s and content, websites, Instagram, handling legal stuff and money.

Over the past five years I’ve learned a lot via trial and error and self research, as well asfrom taking courses from people who know how to do what I want to do.

Today I’m sharing literally everything I can think of with you. I seriously have so many things and resources that I wish I knew about earlier in business. So grab a pen and paper because I’m unloading on you in 3…2…1.

Let’s start off with courses you can purchase. These will cover several different areas of business. I have invested in all of these and most are worth the money. I say that because I didn’t need all of them necessarily.

This is an online course on how to set up your online business in a legally sound manner. Sam is a guest speaker inside the knowledge vault of FitsPRO Foundations as well. She covers everything from deciding to be LLC to group program terms to client contracts. You’ll get templates and learn what needs to be in your contracts + how to deliver those and stick to them so that you’re functioning as a legal business as well. I am currently using Sam’s course to redo all of my legal docs, terms, website disclaimers and contracts. I can’t say enough about this resource. Find the link to Sam’s course and her free on demand workshop in the show notes.

This is an oldy but a goody. This course took me from feeling defeated and lost on Instagram to feeling in control and like I could make things happen. I don’t know if the course has been updated or not, but I took it years ago. Like we’re talking 5 years ago. Obviously a lot has changed on Instagram but I still stand by this course. That’s because it teaches you about the basics. My Instagram course is significantly more in depth than this and is geared at building a brand and making money through the platform. But Hilary’s course is a cheaper option and like I said, really dives deep into the basics of what sets your account apart, makes you followable, and gives you interaction tactics.

If you’re looking for a deeper dive, definitely checkout my Instagram 101 course that covers everything from your bio to selling in your stories and tracking engagement. Find links for both in the show notes. I’ve taken other Instagram courses and quite frankly they just aren’t great.

I will also note here that I’ve tried a lot of planning apps for IG and don’t like any of them so I create my grid in canva and then keep my captions in my notes app.

I used and recommend his free three part series on how to start a podcast. He also has a full on course but the free three part series was literally perfect if you’re just starting out. You’ll go over naming the podcast, making the image, equipment, how to actually record, what software you need, where to host a podcast, how to edit, save, upload, format and schedule the podcast. Just all of the things. It was a serious life saver for me. So many people just said “well you just start it” when I’d ask about how to actually have a podcast. No TINA, that answer is false and there is a shit ton that goes into starting and launching a podcast. Thank you. Take Pat’s free situation. Link in show notes.

I took an intensive masterclass on launching with Isabella and I wasn’t blown away by it. I’ve mentioned that before. She did the masterclasses in preparation for launching the Lab, so that may be why. BUT I do think her Rocket Launcher Lab is probably worth the value based on her other offers. I don’t know if that was a one time thing or how often she opens it. Launching is a struggle for a lot of people and there are definitely tactics to help you feel good when launching. So, the course if available will be linked in the show notes.

Next up is finding an actual business course or coach.

A mentor or course to get you a foundation. Clear ideal client, your mission, your offer or offer suite etc. focus on what needs to be done rather than being overwhelmed by a to do list full of busy tasks.

Obviously I’m partial to my six week but lifetime access course, FitsPRO Foundations. I created this course because I felt it was needed and I was unsatisfied with other course options out there.

Another foundational self paced biz course is B school with Marie Forleo. This course is not specific to fitness professionals but will give you the structure you need to start a business.

Rachel Turner is a great biz coach for those who have hard to market offers and who feel a bit like a misfit in their field. I’ve taken her writing courses in the past and she’s also a guest speaker inside FitsPRO Foundations’ knowledge Vault.

Isabel Silverio also gets great results with her coaching. I haven’t hired her 1:1 but I have no doubt she’s the real deal.

I am quite unimpressed with everyone else I’ve watched, hired or heard of. You’d be surprised by some of the most “successful” programs you see out there. But I suppose we all have some unsatisfied clients. Moving on.

For money – read Profit First and listen to everything Chloe from Deeper than Money says. Just like Sam is my go to legal human, Chloe is the go to money human. All things mindset, tactics, saving, spending, business & personal finance, all is the things. She’s a millennial money coach. And she knows how to create wealth while you’re young. Chloe is also a speaker inside FitsPRO foundations and goes over some of the biggest mistakes entrepreneurs make with their mula. It’s great. She’s great. Check out her and her courses.

Now let’s dive into email – both from a email marketing program standpoint and email marketing geniuses.

Email Marketing Programs for humans just starting out to running a small business:

I would fully be using Flodesk if I wasn’t married to Mailchimp. I have so many templates and email drips going in Mailchimp I’d have a minor heart attack if I had to transfer that and lost anything in the process. Mailchimp works. And it’s simple but I have heard such amazing things about Flodesk. I believe Flodesk is cheaper than or comparably priced with Mailchimp.

I’ve never used but have heard great things about Convertkit as well.

These will all make your email delivery easy, preplanned and on brand.

The one thing I do love about Mailchimp is the ability to integrate with all my other platforms. That just makes my processes and client experience more seamless.

Imma give you three humans who master all things webinars, emails and automation.

They are:

Jenna Kutcher– she can grow a mailing list like a wild freaking banchee. Listen to her podcasts and download her freebies – which of course will require you to join her mailing list. She once mentioned that she was working on a six month long email drip campaign. Absolutely insane. She’s a master of email.

Amy Porterfield – I dare you to watch any of her webinars or lives and not buy what she’s selling. Good luck. Girlfriend creates webinars and emails that sell. One of my friends recently bought her course and as expected, it’s more legit than you can even comprehend. She’s a true professional and business woman. I don’t know the details of her course, I just know it’s probably way more value than you’re paying for and it will likely change your life. Download and apply anything free that Amy has, and listen to her podcast as well. No surprise her and Jenna are good friends.

She’s not as famous as Jenna or Amy, but is legit nonetheless. She is a funnel and email genius. It’s her specialty. Margo creates time and space for you. She uses email marketing and/or webinars in order to get your business working for you.

I will link all of these ladies and or their courses or social media accounts in the show notes.

Okay, that’s email marketing, on to websites and content creation.

These are strictly platforms and software. No courses or humans.

Websites

Squarespace for beginners

Wix

WordPress for blogging. That’s why I have Showit. I can customize EVERYTHING you can think of. Which is waaayyyy to overwhelming if you’re just starting out.

Landing pages

Hosing a course? Thinkific or kajabi

Design work and PDFs

Canva – you can pay for pro and have your brand colors and fonts saved. You also get access to more templates and design options.

This is where you can make workbooks, presentations, IG posts, Pinterest banners, Facebook banners, YouTube graphics. Literally anything. It can be overwhelming. Find your go to templates, save them, use them over and over again. This will take some time and trial and error.

THEN- use Adobe Acrobat for creating fillable or clickable PDFs, compressing them and making them easier for people to use who are downloading them digitally. So design happens in Canva, and then links, fillable areas and compression happens in Adobe. That’s exactly how I make things like the Big Lift Audit.

Most are on mindset and less tactical. But I believe mindset is possibly the largest piece of starting and running a sustainable business. Understanding people, how sales work, and why people buy. And then how to best use your time. Efficiency while providing value is the name of the game.

That’s it! All of the things! Check out the show notes and go learn + apply what you need right now!

Review of the week comes from Likingit123 and says,

“Annie is the real MVP! As a fellow strength coach I’m constantly impressed and inspired by her perspective on all things business, coaching and mindset. She does an incredible job across all her content spurring you to take action.“

Remember that until I am back in real time recording podcasts, you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to iTunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>MY TOP RESOURCES FOR ENTREPRENEURS. I can’t tell you how often I get asked about books, courses, and resources in general for humans starting or running a business. This episode is about to blow your freaking mind if that’s you.

MY TOP RESOURCES FOR ENTREPRENEURS.

I can’t tell you how often I get asked about books, courses, and resources in general for humans starting or running a business.

This episode is about to blow your freaking mind if that’s you.

Imma list off and break down all my favorite courses for building an online business. As well as resources for possible specific pieces of that business like podcasting, email, blogging & brand deals, launches, creating PDF’s and content, websites, Instagram, handling legal stuff and money.

Over the past five years I’ve learned a lot via trial and error and self research, as well asfrom taking courses from people who know how to do what I want to do.

Today I’m sharing literally everything I can think of with you. I seriously have so many things and resources that I wish I knew about earlier in business. So grab a pen and paper because I’m unloading on you in 3...2...1.

Let’s start off with courses you can purchase. These will cover several different areas of business. I have invested in all of these and most are worth the money. I say that because I didn’t need all of them necessarily.

This is an online course on how to set up your online business in a legally sound manner. Sam is a guest speaker inside the knowledge vault of FitsPRO Foundations as well. She covers everything from deciding to be LLC to group program terms to client contracts. You’ll get templates and learn what needs to be in your contracts + how to deliver those and stick to them so that you’re functioning as a legal business as well. I am currently using Sam’s course to redo all of my legal docs, terms, website disclaimers and contracts. I can’t say enough about this resource. Find the link to Sam's course and her free on demand workshop in the show notes.

This is an oldy but a goody. This course took me from feeling defeated and lost on Instagram to feeling in control and like I could make things happen. I don’t know if the course has been updated or not, but I took it years ago. Like we’re talking 5 years ago. Obviously a lot has changed on Instagram but I still stand by this course. That’s because it teaches you about the basics. My Instagram course is significantly more in depth than this and is geared at building a brand and making money through the platform. But Hilary’s course is a cheaper option and like I said, really dives deep into the basics of what sets your account apart, makes you followable, and gives you interaction tactics.

If you’re looking for a deeper dive, definitely checkout my Instagram 101 course that covers everything from your bio to selling in your stories and tracking engagement. Find links for both in the show notes. I’ve taken other Instagram courses and quite frankly they just aren’t great.

I will also note here that I’ve tried a lot of planning apps for IG and don’t like any of them so I create my grid in canva and then keep my captions in my notes app.

I used and recommend his free three part series on how to start a podcast.]]>Annie Miller26:21071 | Listener Q&Ahttps://anniemiller.co/071-listener-qa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=071-listener-qa
Tue, 26 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5612It's time for a Listener Q&A. These are some of my favorite episodes. I asked you guys to give me questions on IG on literally any topic - life, travel, fitness. I'll be answering them rapid fire, but since I'm long winded it won't be THAT quick.
I have no prepared answers and have not looked through them, so I have no idea how long this will take. I hope to answer as swiftly and clearly as possible, and the questions will be anonymous. Below are an abbreviated version of my answers, for the full response, tune in to the podcast.So, without further ado, let's dive in.
If you could be a strength and conditioning coach for any team who would it be?
I would be a coach for MMA or wrestling because I've always been drawn to those sports - even since high school. My husband was a training partner for Rick Story and I have never taken part in martial arts but have been a huge fan of martial arts for a very long time. Not necessarily a team but type of athlete would be men or women in mixed martial arts.
Where to start with setting time, emotional boundaries and energy management? I can schedule and time block block but keeping energy and focus is tough.
Hard to answer because I don't know what you've tried specifically. If you have written a schedule and time blocked and you're having trouble keeping energy and focusing doing those things, then I would look at a few things. How long are you giving yourself and what is the expectation during that time block?
For example, it can be really overwhelming if I say "finish BBA home plus." That involves me creating 12 different phases of programming. Instead of writing a task that involves 12 other tasks, break it down into smaller, more digestible pieces because that makes you feel like you have to focus on smaller bits at a time. That has worked for me. I learned that I really only like to focus for 1-2 hours at a time, then I have to take a break (walk, eat, scroll IG).
I enjoy doing those things and am more productive if I do those things every 1-2 hours. And then get back to work of course - don't go on a downward spiral of not being productive, but I do think it is a learning process with you and yourself. If you find yourself not continuing to focus, ask yourself, is the time block that you have too large? Or the task in the time block too overwhelming?
I'd love to hear more about your competitive cheer experience...how did you get started?
I was the little sister that wanted to do everything my big sister did. She played soccer, I played soccer (even though she only played 3 years, I played through high school). She did competitive cheerleading and my mom would have to work so she would drop me off at my sister's practices - so I sat and watched. This is where I met Paige Major - who I cheered under, then cheered for and worked with. And who is now my branding photographer and strategist. Basically I did it because my sister did it. I loved the work ethic, loved the team aspect of it. Everyone on the competitive cheer squad has a purpose. It is not like soccer; you are not as replaceable.
There is a dependability in competitive cheerleading, it's another level of camaraderie and teamwork that I found really appealing. Started middle school, did it through high school. I decided not to do it in college but then started coaching right off the bat. I wasn't really keen on leaving my hometown, I didn't want to go away to college. Probably could've cheered most places, and some coaches were disappointed....but you know me and you know I do what I want haha. Coached for 10 years before we started traveling the world.
Whats your advice if you have two groups of ideal clients?
Your two groups of ideal clients are strength and conditioning for gymnastics and general population. I would say focus on one of those first, especially if this is online. Focus on your offer and relationship with one of those groups first,

It’s time for a Listener Q&A. These are some of my favorite episodes. I asked you guys to give me questions on IG on literally any topic – life, travel, fitness. I’ll be answering them rapid fire, but since I’m long winded it won’t be THAT quick.

I have no prepared answers and have not looked through them, so I have no idea how long this will take. I hope to answer as swiftly and clearly as possible, and the questions will be anonymous. Below are an abbreviated version of my answers, for the full response, tune in to the podcast.So, without further ado, let’s dive in.

If you could be a strength and conditioning coach for any team who would it be?

I would be a coach for MMA or wrestling because I’ve always been drawn to those sports – even since high school. My husband was a training partner for Rick Story and I have never taken part in martial arts but have been a huge fan of martial arts for a very long time. Not necessarily a team but type of athlete would be men or women in mixed martial arts.

Where to start with setting time, emotional boundaries and energy management? I can schedule and time block block but keeping energy and focus is tough.

Hard to answer because I don’t know what you’ve tried specifically. If you have written a schedule and time blocked and you’re having trouble keeping energy and focusing doing those things, then I would look at a few things. How long are you giving yourself and what is the expectation during that time block?

For example, it can be really overwhelming if I say “finish BBA home plus.” That involves me creating 12 different phases of programming. Instead of writing a task that involves 12 other tasks, break it down into smaller, more digestible pieces because that makes you feel like you have to focus on smaller bits at a time. That has worked for me. I learned that I really only like to focus for 1-2 hours at a time, then I have to take a break (walk, eat, scroll IG).

I enjoy doing those things and am more productive if I do those things every 1-2 hours. And then get back to work of course – don’t go on a downward spiral of not being productive, but I do think it is a learning process with you and yourself. If you find yourself not continuing to focus, ask yourself, is the time block that you have too large? Or the task in the time block too overwhelming?

I’d love to hear more about your competitive cheer experience…how did you get started?

I was the little sister that wanted to do everything my big sister did. She played soccer, I played soccer (even though she only played 3 years, I played through high school). She did competitive cheerleading and my mom would have to work so she would drop me off at my sister’s practices – so I sat and watched. This is where I met Paige Major – who I cheered under, then cheered for and worked with. And who is now my branding photographer and strategist. Basically I did it because my sister did it. I loved the work ethic, loved the team aspect of it. Everyone on the competitive cheer squad has a purpose. It is not like soccer; you are not as replaceable.

There is a dependability in competitive cheerleading, it’s another level of camaraderie and teamwork that I found really appealing. Started middle school, did it through high school. I decided not to do it in college but then started coaching right off the bat. I wasn’t really keen on leaving my hometown, I didn’t want to go away to college. Probably could’ve cheered most places, and some coaches were disappointed….but you know me and you know I do what I want haha. Coached for 10 years before we started traveling the world.

Whats your advice if you have two groups of ideal clients?

Your two groups of ideal clients are strength and conditioning for gymnastics and general population. I would say focus on one of those first, especially if this is online. Focus on your offer and relationship with one of those groups first, streamline that as much as possible and then start working on the other one. Choose which is most important to you and go all in, then open the door to the other one once the first is established and sustainable.

What questions do you ask in weekly check ins with your clients? Do 1:1 clients get weekly workouts based on check ins or one month at a time?

You can do both of those options. My question for my 1:1 clients is how was last week? How is the stress? Overall life questions. I do TrueCoach check ins so I normally text them after I do those. Then I can text and cite specific things from their workouts. We then talk about whatever it is we’re working on with that client. I tried a Google form for a while, but I didn’t love doing it that way. Google sheets are good for seeing trends and data – suggest that for something VERY specific. (stress, diet, etc).

With my 1:1 clients – we just focus on lifting weights. I realize stress and sleep and nutrition are all important in that – main focus is performance in gym and they know that when I text them on a weekly basis. Since we’ve been together for a year, or two, or more, when I text them they know they should be telling me whatever they need to tell me. They know themselves on a pretty deep level; they know the context if they had a shitty week and they are very aware of if its poor nutrition, not enough sleep, if they had a breakup with a BF of three years.

My check ins with my 1:1 clients are very open via text but you really get to choose what it is that your ideal clients needs for check-ins and what the promise fo your program is. If you’re promise is on a deeper level, like lose a certain amount of weight, or discover things about themselves – then maybe a deeper check in is needed and that is up for you to decide. As far as the workouts go – I program on a monthly basis with 4 -5 week long training blocks. I will talk to them if I see something in TrueCoach, or we discover we need a different exercise and we will discuss and change. But as far as programming goes – I program on monthly basis. If I was programming weekly I would charge FAR more than I do now.

How difficult has it been motivating clients through online training vs in person?

My online clients do not need motivation. That is not who I attract and that is not what I sell. It hasn’t been difficult because I am not a motivator and that is not my job. Your job is to show up and do what I tell you to do. That is the type of online client that I attract. They are either upholders or questioners, but typically a mixture of both. They appreciate some accountability but they do NOT need me to babysit them or motivate them on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. Yes, of course I learn my clients – I have them take a personality test when they begin working with me so I know what type of person I am working with. (I’m referencing Gretchen Rubin’s four tendencies). Most of my clients are fine motivating themselves, so I hope that answers the question.

Skincare lineup? Your skin is always gorgeous.

Well, thank you. Also, Instagram doesn’t always show my blemishes and good light can do magic for your skin. But, thank you for this. I only use FRÉ Skin Care (obviously) hahaha. If you’re interested, use my code FDBA (it always saves you money!) But seriously, I only use FRÉ. I haven’t used anything else in 3 years but I have tried some supplementary things (Vitamin C and Retinol). My skin is so freakin’ sensitive it hates everything besides FRÉ, which is why I talk about it all the time. It is the actual only thing that has worked for my skin.

Did you always know you wanted to be a fitness coach? Or how did you get there?

No, I have always been into fitness (we grew up on two acres and were always outside). My dad did 100 pushups, sit-ups and pull-ups every morning and I joined him (for a few). Weights and pull-ups are things I have always been exposed to and used. I always like being strong; I gravitated toward sports and pushing my body. From a young age I liked the burning in my lungs and legs when I would work really hard. I knew I would be in fitness in someway.

I took a semester off college actually and my mom literally almost had a heart attack. My logic was that I wasn’t going to rack up debt when I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. Spent a semester researching colleges and degrees and taking time to decide. It came down to fitness or cosmetology, and I chose to start my career at the community college and began working toward my fitness training associate degree. Through Clark College I realized I wanted to be a strength and conditioning coach.

I interviewed a local strength coach who told me I needed my CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) to become a college strength and conditioning coach, which meant I needed to go to a four year college. So I transferred to Concordia University after 2 years – took my pre-req classes at Clark to get into the program at Concordia. I did college strength for two years then decided I wanted to do my own thing. Always loved fitness and the human body.

How to start if you’re an absolute beginner?

I’m not shaming this person, not a dumb question but a poorly worded question because it is not specific enough. I cannot answer this question.

What is the best advice for batching pictures for Instagram?

For making my grid ahead of time I do not use Plann or Planoly (these are two apps where you can batch pictures and context ahead of time). As far as batching actual photos and taking them – have multiple outfits planned out ahead of time and maybe a list of the type of photos you need. You can either do a self timer (w/natural light and simple background) or you can work with a photographer, or a friend. Natural light is best, it requires the least amount of editing. If you’re working with a self timer – you can always take a video of you in different poses then take screenshots from that! Then you can edit and create content for a month or two.

Best and worst things a woman in the fitness industry can do?

The best? Become an advocate for yourself. Educate yourself and learn and be a scientist of your own body. Try things, keep track of things, be kind to your body, learn your body. That takes time, effort and awareness. The worst thing you can do? Is not do those things. In addition to being authentic and not speaking your truth. From a client standpoint – not having efficacy for yourself.

How to rebuild after an injury? A concussion has flipped my life and career upside down.

Find practitioners that are in alignment with your philosophy and have your best interest in mind. That is my suggestion, no matter the type of injury. Find people you trust and who can help get you back to where you want to be. And you must be willing to put in the work.

Do you keep a key list of movement progressions and regressions?

I don’t have a list but am working on creating something right now that is taking a lot of time. It is for the future, it is essentially an exercise library/index of sorts.

How to periodize training for clients in combo with them paying each month?

For my BBA and 1:1, they pay on the same day every month. BBA is assigned their program within 48 hours of signing up. I have it all set up for programs to align with the monthly payment plan. For 1:1 the payments aren’t always in conjunction with the program.

For farmer’s carries how do you measure their volume? Is one yard similar to one rep?

I always program it by yards and don’t think of it as reps. BUT if I were to do it, 10 yards would equate to one rep. You can either progress them with weight or yardage.

My to-travel list is a mile long, how do you decide where to go next?

Nate and I decide usually ahead of time and we batch locations. for example, if we’re going to go to SE Asia, we’re going to go for 5 months and hit all the locations we want to hit. We try to get “sections” crossed off because it is more cost-effective. It’s so much more fun in my opinion if you can go slow and enjoy the place for a week or a month. Then it’s less stressful and you can enjoy the location. We look at our list and see what we can cross off and visit together. It also depends a lot on seasons for us!

What is your system for setting up the best measurable progressive program for a client?

You have to look at the goal of the client and the program. Is this an olympic lifting program? A bodybuilding program? Or a gym rat program? Progressive overload is dependent on the type of program you’re creating. But it should be measurable because you’re writing a program and tracking results. You have to decide what you’re tracking, then measure that. My system isn’t a specific system, it is simply how you program. Your program should include progressive overload and record if that is happening or not.

How do you balance life with IG and boundaries you set in your online presence for mental health?

I am an introvert and spend a lot of time with myself, so this isn’t very hard for me. I have found that it is a bit harder for extroverts. Introverts can sort of sense when its time to take a step back and have some silence. That is how I do it – I pay attention to how I feel. With launches I need some space afterward to breathe and be.

Whats your take on working at multiple gyms as a coach?

I think its great if its allowed. As long as its not a breach of your contract it can be beneficial to work with other coaches, in other environments and learn from different experiences. If you’re young in your career get experience working with and under other coaches.

How nervous were you to start your podcast?

SO NERVOUS YOU GUYS. I can’t even put into words how nervous I was – I almost didn’t start it cause I couldn’t figure out how. Had to watch a free 3 day “how to start a podcast” tutorial. I am not technologically savvy nor do I enjoy it. Even though I run a business. If I were to do it again I would hire someone. But I knew I had things to say and that people wanted to listen.

Trying to understand hormone levels and energy through the month and coordinate workouts?

I have a whole coaching call on Annie’s Secret Lab of Brain Gains I have an entire call on training around your cycle. I dive into the phases and everything. You generally will be able to train heavier and harder during your follicular phase. And you will generally fatigue more easily during the second phase on your cycle This can differ for everyone. It is important to track your cycle, and if you’re on contraceptives this is also different. I recommend reading the Period Repair Manual. It is linked on my Amazon page. Also feel free to shoot me a DM.

What additional training did you do besides your personal training cert?

I have my degree in exercise and sport science. I have my CSCS. Outside of that I go to conferences through the NSCA (which I don’t always speak highly of but they’re getting better). I took Jacob Harden’s pre-hab 101. Highly recommend that – very hands out. I also suggest anything Active Life Rx does! I don’t have a lot of books other than MMA Ultimate Conditioning from Joel Jamison for Energy Systems Development and Heart Rate Training. It is great for you to try all different types of training and exercises. A lot of my knowledge has come through experience. Get out there and gain experience.

How to choose programming programs such as TrueCoach and others?

I tried almost every program three years ago and then one of my mentors introduced me to TrueCoach. And here we are. I think it is the best for the coach and trainee experience.

What are your favorite makeup products?

Currently I love Tarte cosmetics. Great transition into clean beauty. I was getting away from drugstore makeup but wasn’t quite ready to make the jump to BeautyCounter. I’ve heard nothing but good things about BeautyCounter. I like Tarte, they have a good mix and good transitions. quality makeup for a decent price. The products feel high quality and I like that they have a vegan product line. I actually have a blog post about my 5 favorite tarte products here!

Anyway, that Listener Q&A was fun! Feel free to DM me if you have more specific questions about anything mentioned here.

Review of the week comes from j_schlut and says,

“This podcast is amazing if you’re a trainer or a trainee, just like Annie says. There’s something (a lot) for everything to learn. I love that the episodes are straight and to-the-point and full of helpful information. The podcast is going to change my business, I can already feel it.”

Remember you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to iTunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>It's time for a Listener Q&A. These are some of my favorite episodes. I asked you guys to give me questions on IG on literally any topic - life, travel, fitness. I'll be answering them rapid fire, but since I'm long winded it won't be THAT quick.

It's time for a Listener Q&A. These are some of my favorite episodes. I asked you guys to give me questions on IG on literally any topic - life, travel, fitness. I'll be answering them rapid fire, but since I'm long winded it won't be THAT quick.

I have no prepared answers and have not looked through them, so I have no idea how long this will take. I hope to answer as swiftly and clearly as possible, and the questions will be anonymous. Below are an abbreviated version of my answers, for the full response, tune in to the podcast.So, without further ado, let's dive in.

If you could be a strength and conditioning coach for any team who would it be?

I would be a coach for MMA or wrestling because I've always been drawn to those sports - even since high school. My husband was a training partner for Rick Story and I have never taken part in martial arts but have been a huge fan of martial arts for a very long time. Not necessarily a team but type of athlete would be men or women in mixed martial arts.

Where to start with setting time, emotional boundaries and energy management? I can schedule and time block block but keeping energy and focus is tough.

Hard to answer because I don't know what you've tried specifically. If you have written a schedule and time blocked and you're having trouble keeping energy and focusing doing those things, then I would look at a few things. How long are you giving yourself and what is the expectation during that time block?

For example, it can be really overwhelming if I say "finish BBA home plus." That involves me creating 12 different phases of programming. Instead of writing a task that involves 12 other tasks, break it down into smaller, more digestible pieces because that makes you feel like you have to focus on smaller bits at a time. That has worked for me. I learned that I really only like to focus for 1-2 hours at a time, then I have to take a break (walk, eat, scroll IG).

I enjoy doing those things and am more productive if I do those things every 1-2 hours. And then get back to work of course - don't go on a downward spiral of not being productive, but I do think it is a learning process with you and yourself. If you find yourself not continuing to focus, ask yourself, is the time block that you have too large? Or the task in the time block too overwhelming?

I'd love to hear more about your competitive cheer experience...how did you get started?

I was the little sister that wanted to do everything my big sister did. She played soccer, I played soccer (even though she only played 3 years, I played through high school). She did competitive cheerleading and my mom would have to work so she would drop me off at my sister's practices - so I sat and watched. This is where I met Paige Major - who I cheered under, then cheered for and worked with. And who is now my branding photographer and strategist. Basically I did it because my sister did it. I loved the work ethic, loved the team aspect of it. Everyone on the competitive cheer squad has a purpose. It is not like soccer; you are not as replaceable.

There is a dependability in competitive cheerleading, it's another level of camaraderie and teamwork that I found really appealing. Started middle school, did it through high school. I decided not to do it in college but then started coaching right off the bat. I wasn't really keen on leaving my hometown, I didn't want to go away to college. Probably could've cheered most places, and some coaches were disappointed....but you know me and you know I do what I want haha. Coached for 10 years before we started traveling the world.

]]>Annie Miller072 | Working Out Around The World – The Truthhttps://anniemiller.co/072-working-out-around-the-world-the-truth/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=072-working-out-around-the-world-the-truth
Thu, 21 May 2020 17:00:00 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5614THE INS AND OUTS OF EXERCISE AND TRAVEL.
I wanted to talk about this topic because it’s been a huge portion of the last two years of my life. And that is working out while traveling. Like, what does that reality look like. What I’ve experienced and some of the ways I go about moving while traveling the world.
First off - nothing will be as good as having consistent structure with a purposeful program.
This is why I lose strength and muscle mass while traveling EVERY TIME.
So let’s dive into what working out while traveling the world looks like.
Cardio becomes more prominent for sure. Why? Because it’s easy and it can be done literally anywhere.
The point for moving oftentimes is simply to get our heart rates up. So we run stairs in our building - 4 times from bottom to top, recover on the way down.
We go on runs - this was huge for us in Rio De Janeiro because they had an awesome beach front on Copacabana. The weather was great and the scenery wasn’t bad either. In colder places we will do jumping jacks or burpees. Simple intervals - 1 minute on, rest on heart rate. Or we can do tempo like 15 seconds on, 45 seconds rest. That works really well for more intense work like jump squats.
That’s all way more cardio than I would choose to do at home. But man it just feels good to sweat and move with intention outside of sitting and walking.
Cardio is also mindless and time efficient. And while travel seems like a luxury, and it is I suppose, it’s also draining. Which you know if you’ve traveled before.
We also keep in mind our daily movement. For instance in some locations we walk A LOT, on a daily basis. But in Patagonia, we were driving 8-9 hours per day sometimes, burning the LEAST amount of calories and compressing our spines. After those days the body just craves movements. I would argue that our bodies felt the worst during that road trip. It was so much sitting. Which led to quite a few body weight workouts on days off from driving. Our joints were definitely in need of some love.
In that location there was obviously hiking that was taking place - which killed our feet more than anything. But we were both rather pleased with how our cardio and muscles felt.
As far as exercise outside of cardio, Nate and I are very different. I can’t speak to his logic. But here’s mine.
I have my go-to exercises
These are normally the most bang for buck for retaining strength, having a high metabolic demand, and getting joints moving at different angles.
Most of the time is done with body weight. Especially now that we travel faster. In our 2018/2019 travels we had 4-5 one month gym memberships. So we had more opportunity to work with extra load.
But when we move faster, body weight is what we use most often.
My logic is this: I want to keep movement pattens fresh. So I do a lot of squats, step ups, single leg RDLs, cossack squats, handstand holds and Bulgarian split squats. For core I do a lot of plank shoulder taps, V ups and hollow holds.
Upper body is by far the hardest to get after with body weight alone.
Sets and reps vary as I’m not following a program. Although sometimes I do just pull straight from my Body Weight for Weight Lifters program. Especially if I’m needing some mobility focus.
For lower body I typically stick to single leg exercises because they can be more metabolically demanding. And there’s a heavier load. Right? So when I’m doing Bulgarian split squats with the majority of my weight on one leg, that’s more difficult for me to move than doing a body weight squat using both legs simultaneously.
I also LOVE the deep range of motion I get in that front working leg.
Same goes for choosing the single leg RDL. I normally load those bitches up with a 45 lb dumbbell but that doesn’t mean I can’t benefit from doing them with body weight. They give my hamstring a great functional stretch and lengthening contraction.
And that’s where tempo comes in.

THE INS AND OUTS OF EXERCISE AND TRAVEL.

I wanted to talk about this topic because it’s been a huge portion of the last two years of my life. And that is working out while traveling. Like, what does that reality look like. What I’ve experienced and some of the ways I go about moving while traveling the world.

First off – nothing will be as good as having consistent structure with a purposeful program.

This is why I lose strength and muscle mass while traveling EVERY TIME.

So let’s dive into what working out while traveling the world looks like.

Cardio becomes more prominent for sure. Why? Because it’s easy and it can be done literally anywhere.

The point for moving oftentimes is simply to get our heart rates up. So we run stairs in our building – 4 times from bottom to top, recover on the way down.

We go on runs – this was huge for us in Rio De Janeiro because they had an awesome beach front on Copacabana. The weather was great and the scenery wasn’t bad either. In colder places we will do jumping jacks or burpees. Simple intervals – 1 minute on, rest on heart rate. Or we can do tempo like 15 seconds on, 45 seconds rest. That works really well for more intense work like jump squats.

That’s all way more cardio than I would choose to do at home. But man it just feels good to sweat and move with intention outside of sitting and walking.

Cardio is also mindless and time efficient. And while travel seems like a luxury, and it is I suppose, it’s also draining. Which you know if you’ve traveled before.

We also keep in mind our daily movement. For instance in some locations we walk A LOT, on a daily basis. But in Patagonia, we were driving 8-9 hours per day sometimes, burning the LEAST amount of calories and compressing our spines. After those days the body just craves movements. I would argue that our bodies felt the worst during that road trip. It was so much sitting. Which led to quite a few body weight workouts on days off from driving. Our joints were definitely in need of some love.

In that location there was obviously hiking that was taking place – which killed our feet more than anything. But we were both rather pleased with how our cardio and muscles felt.

As far as exercise outside of cardio, Nate and I are very different. I can’t speak to his logic. But here’s mine.

I have my go-to exercises

These are normally the most bang for buck for retaining strength, having a high metabolic demand, and getting joints moving at different angles.

Most of the time is done with body weight. Especially now that we travel faster. In our 2018/2019 travels we had 4-5 one month gym memberships. So we had more opportunity to work with extra load.

But when we move faster, body weight is what we use most often.

My logic is this: I want to keep movement pattens fresh. So I do a lot of squats, step ups, single leg RDLs, cossack squats, handstand holds and Bulgarian split squats. For core I do a lot of plank shoulder taps, V ups and hollow holds.

Upper body is by far the hardest to get after with body weight alone.

Sets and reps vary as I’m not following a program. Although sometimes I do just pull straight from my Body Weight for Weight Lifters program. Especially if I’m needing some mobility focus.

For lower body I typically stick to single leg exercises because they can be more metabolically demanding. And there’s a heavier load. Right? So when I’m doing Bulgarian split squats with the majority of my weight on one leg, that’s more difficult for me to move than doing a body weight squat using both legs simultaneously.

I also LOVE the deep range of motion I get in that front working leg.

Same goes for choosing the single leg RDL. I normally load those bitches up with a 45 lb dumbbell but that doesn’t mean I can’t benefit from doing them with body weight. They give my hamstring a great functional stretch and lengthening contraction.

And that’s where tempo comes in. So generally I use higher rep ranges with body weight in order to get a workout. But I use tempo heavily in order to make the workouts harder as well. I almost always use a 2-3 second descent on everything, which also keeps my joints happy. And then sometimes I’ll either do an explosive concentric phase or a slow and controlled concentric as well. But rarely am I ever just going through the motion without any purpose. Especially because I don’t love body weight work. So I’m going to make it as enjoyable for me as possible.

For lateral work I love cossack squats. They’re also a godsend for hip and ankle mobility. Again with the single leg work. My adductors get notoriously tight so I do these almost every workout and I swear by them.

Push ups are the holy grail of upper body. They aren’t easy and you can do a lot with them as far as angles, hand width and tempo.

The one thing I hate about body weight and not having a pull up bar or TRX is the lack of pulling. I miss that the most of anything while we travel. I just feel like I lose all grip and back strength.

But I do get the full flexion range of motion and overhead strength with the handstand holds. With these, I am focused on range of motion, full body position, where my weight is in my hands, and retracting my shoulder blades. That goes back to the fact that I enjoy working on skills and being in the process. But I don’t particularly love body weight work, so I learned from last year and have been much more active this year simply by focusing on intention behind my movements just like I would when lifting weights.

I’ll choose lifting weights all day every day, but I’ve been much better about just moving my body in these 2020 travel workouts. I feel better when I move and I feel like I’m shitting on the relationship I have with my body when I don’t move.

Remember one of the goals is to retain as much strength as I can, which won’t be much. Period. Body weight cannot replace lifting weights.

The other goals are simply to move with intention and to get into my end ranges. I felt so out of touch with my joints in 2018 and 2019 while traveling. It was hugely important to me this round to not let that happen again.

I hope you can tell that my logic and intention doesn’t change much from when I lift at home to when I’m doing body weight work around the world.

I do simple movements with purpose. I’m looking for efficient movements and to enjoy what I’m doing. That’s another great thing about single leg work – it often is metabolically demanding, challenges balance and forces me to concentrate of foot contact with the floor. And when I do cardio it’s likely based on heart rate training. Again with the efficiency.

That’s what it’s like to workout around the world.

I don’t follow a program or progress like I would when home. But my body needs to move, so that’s what I committed to doing. And I’m literally happy every time I choose to do some kind of workout. It’s just so worth it.

If you struggle with body weight workouts, check out my Body Weight for Weight Lifters program. There’s 49 categorized mix and match workouts that are all under 25 minutes. Each exercise has a demo video as well.

Use code PODCAST for 50% off because you’re a podcast listener and I love you.

Review of the week comes from hannnnah40 and says,

“I have gained so much knowledge from this podcast and love learning more from Annie! I would highly recommend this podcast to anyone!”

Remember you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to iTunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>THE INS AND OUTS OF EXERCISE AND TRAVEL. I wanted to talk about this topic because it’s been a huge portion of the last two years of my life. And that is working out while traveling. Like, what does that reality look like.

THE INS AND OUTS OF EXERCISE AND TRAVEL.

I wanted to talk about this topic because it’s been a huge portion of the last two years of my life. And that is working out while traveling. Like, what does that reality look like. What I’ve experienced and some of the ways I go about moving while traveling the world.

First off - nothing will be as good as having consistent structure with a purposeful program.

This is why I lose strength and muscle mass while traveling EVERY TIME.

So let’s dive into what working out while traveling the world looks like.

Cardio becomes more prominent for sure. Why? Because it’s easy and it can be done literally anywhere.

The point for moving oftentimes is simply to get our heart rates up. So we run stairs in our building - 4 times from bottom to top, recover on the way down.

We go on runs - this was huge for us in Rio De Janeiro because they had an awesome beach front on Copacabana. The weather was great and the scenery wasn’t bad either. In colder places we will do jumping jacks or burpees. Simple intervals - 1 minute on, rest on heart rate. Or we can do tempo like 15 seconds on, 45 seconds rest. That works really well for more intense work like jump squats.

That’s all way more cardio than I would choose to do at home. But man it just feels good to sweat and move with intention outside of sitting and walking.

Cardio is also mindless and time efficient. And while travel seems like a luxury, and it is I suppose, it’s also draining. Which you know if you’ve traveled before.

We also keep in mind our daily movement. For instance in some locations we walk A LOT, on a daily basis. But in Patagonia, we were driving 8-9 hours per day sometimes, burning the LEAST amount of calories and compressing our spines. After those days the body just craves movements. I would argue that our bodies felt the worst during that road trip. It was so much sitting. Which led to quite a few body weight workouts on days off from driving. Our joints were definitely in need of some love.

In that location there was obviously hiking that was taking place - which killed our feet more than anything. But we were both rather pleased with how our cardio and muscles felt.

As far as exercise outside of cardio, Nate and I are very different. I can’t speak to his logic. But here’s mine.

I have my go-to exercises

These are normally the most bang for buck for retaining strength, having a high metabolic demand, and getting joints moving at different angles.

Most of the time is done with body weight. Especially now that we travel faster. In our 2018/2019 travels we had 4-5 one month gym memberships. So we had more opportunity to work with extra load.

But when we move faster, body weight is what we use most often.

My logic is this: I want to keep movement pattens fresh. So I do a lot of squats, step ups, single leg RDLs, cossack squats, handstand holds and Bulgarian split squats. For core I do a lot of plank shoulder taps, V ups and hollow holds.

Upper body is by far the hardest to get after with body weight alone.

Sets and reps vary as I’m not following a program. Although sometimes I do just pull straight from my Body Weight for Weight Lifters program. Especially if I’m needing some mobility focus.

For lower body I typically stick to single leg exercises because they can be more metabolically demanding. And there’s a heavier load. Right?]]>Annie Miller070 | The Power of Pivoting & Knowing When to Pivothttps://anniemiller.co/070-the-power-of-pivoting-knowing-when-to-pivot/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=070-the-power-of-pivoting-knowing-when-to-pivot
Tue, 05 May 2020 05:00:00 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5610PIVOTING IS INEVITABLE.
You’re not on a one way road for eternity with no turns, road blocks, or change of direction. You will at some point, in business, in life or in training, need to pivot.
And while pivoting on a soccer pitch or basketball court is a quick and often explosive event, it doesn’t have to be in other areas of life. Not always anyway.
I want to discuss when to pivot - what might indicate that you need to pivot? How you might pivot successfully and the power that lies within change of direction.
You can pivot in ANY area of life. Deciding to make a baby is a definite pivot in your life. Starting at a new gym or a new job is a pivot. A pivot is, like I said, a change of direction. In business this could be a small decision like combining two Instagram accounts or huge decision, like changing your business name and offering a new type of service. This was my case in 2018 when I renamed my biz of 3.5 years and in 2019 when I starting coaching business in addition to fitness. These were big pivotal moves and they had immense power.
They were also terrifying. Which is something that often happens along with change.
So, let’s dive into what might happen before a pivot. What might lead you to thinking you need a change of direction. Ideally we don’t pivot via HAVING TO, but that can absolutely happen as well. Something happens in life or business that forces a pivotal event or choice upon you.
But often, we just feel off, or unsatisfied. Perhaps out of alignment. We can also experience some sort of inspiration. You go to an event or have a conversation with someone and realize that you need to take a new course of action.
So you either experience resistance in an area or a tugging or inspiration on the other end of the spectrum.
Because I’ve experienced this mostly in business, that’s what I’ll discuss. But feel free to relate this to anything.
If you’re unsatisfied and experiencing a level of resistance, you’ve got to look at why. Maybe you need to keep grinding but maybe it’s time to pivot. I say that about the grind because if we pivoted every time we felt resistance, we wouldn’t complete anything, ever.
You could be feeling resistance and need a day of rest, or a little brain dump and then get back to work. I have another episode all about how to get out of a slump, so you can check that out as well. It will be linked in the show notes.
We’re talking about pivoting, not getting past a lack of motivation. Right?
But we still need to know where the resistance is coming from in order to determine where your new direction will be.
That’s where I think EITHER the lack of satisfaction or alignment comes in.
When I transitioned from seven years of in person training to online, that was a huge and terrifying pivot. I’d been building my online platform for years, but I still depended on the security of in person. The decision to cut that off and go all in online was both unknown and so incredibly needed.
I loved my in person clients. They were great and they were certainly not the problem. But I knew I had more to offer and I had reached my ceiling in person. I remember being in the gym, just thinking of everything else I could be doing online. My clients didn’t need me in person if we’re being honest, and I knew it. That left me resenting my job. Again, not resenting my clients, but feeling like I was selling myself short - holding myself back. I found myself thinking, “If I could just use those hours spent in person to build my online business.”
That’s when we know we need to pivot fam. If you’re constantly thinking about doing the other thing, when you’re doing the current thing, you needed to pivot YESTERDAY.
This is the type of resistance I’m talking about.
Nate actually experienced this when he brought up the possibility of traveling the world.
If you don’t know how that all came about, here’s the short story.

PIVOTING IS INEVITABLE.

You’re not on a one way road for eternity with no turns, road blocks, or change of direction. You will at some point, in business, in life or in training, need to pivot.

And while pivoting on a soccer pitch or basketball court is a quick and often explosive event, it doesn’t have to be in other areas of life. Not always anyway.

I want to discuss when to pivot – what might indicate that you need to pivot? How you might pivot successfully and the power that lies within change of direction.

You can pivot in ANY area of life. Deciding to make a baby is a definite pivot in your life. Starting at a new gym or a new job is a pivot. A pivot is, like I said, a change of direction. In business this could be a small decision like combining two Instagram accounts or huge decision, like changing your business name and offering a new type of service. This was my case in 2018 when I renamed my biz of 3.5 years and in 2019 when I starting coaching business in addition to fitness. These were big pivotal moves and they had immense power.

They were also terrifying. Which is something that often happens along with change.

So, let’s dive into what might happen before a pivot. What might lead you to thinking you need a change of direction. Ideally we don’t pivot via HAVING TO, but that can absolutely happen as well. Something happens in life or business that forces a pivotal event or choice upon you.

But often, we just feel off, or unsatisfied. Perhaps out of alignment. We can also experience some sort of inspiration. You go to an event or have a conversation with someone and realize that you need to take a new course of action.

So you either experience resistance in an area or a tugging or inspiration on the other end of the spectrum.

Because I’ve experienced this mostly in business, that’s what I’ll discuss. But feel free to relate this to anything.

If you’re unsatisfied and experiencing a level of resistance, you’ve got to look at why. Maybe you need to keep grinding but maybe it’s time to pivot. I say that about the grind because if we pivoted every time we felt resistance, we wouldn’t complete anything, ever.

We’re talking about pivoting, not getting past a lack of motivation. Right?

But we still need to know where the resistance is coming from in order to determine where your new direction will be.

That’s where I think EITHER the lack of satisfaction or alignment comes in.

When I transitioned from seven years of in person training to online, that was a huge and terrifying pivot. I’d been building my online platform for years, but I still depended on the security of in person. The decision to cut that off and go all in online was both unknown and so incredibly needed.

I loved my in person clients. They were great and they were certainly not the problem. But I knew I had more to offer and I had reached my ceiling in person. I remember being in the gym, just thinking of everything else I could be doing online. My clients didn’t need me in person if we’re being honest, and I knew it. That left me resenting my job. Again, not resenting my clients, but feeling like I was selling myself short – holding myself back. I found myself thinking, “If I could just use those hours spent in person to build my online business.”

That’s when we know we need to pivot fam. If you’re constantly thinking about doing the other thing, when you’re doing the current thing, you needed to pivot YESTERDAY.

This is the type of resistance I’m talking about.

Nate actually experienced this when he brought up the possibility of traveling the world.

If you don’t know how that all came about, here’s the short story.

So Nate used to work for a high end hippy-ish grocery store and he was quickly moving up in that company. In mid to late 2017 he was one step below assistant store manager. Naturally he began to weigh his options. And he saw that he’d be doing a lot more work, held responsible for a lot more. Which is fine, but the compensation just didn’t line up. So then what? Right? Does he move up and take the minuit pay raise for the increase in responsibility + possible commute time? Or does he stay out and cap out at his current position? Does he look for a new job?

At the same time my online biz was growing and becoming sustainable.

That’s the general situation. We’re making enough money. We don’t need more and certainly don’t need more at the expense of Nate’s quality of life and our time together.

So I’m sitting on the couch, working on my biz one day and Nate comes walking down the hallway and says, “what if we just traveled the world for a year?” To which I responded with, “I’d have to make a little more, but let’s do it.”

Then of course I asked him where that came from and how we might go about doing that.

Less than a year later, we were off. Traveling the world with me going all in on my online biz.

PIVOT MUCH?

Scary? Yes.

Satisfying? More than you know.

When you’re out of alignment with what you really want to be doing, it’s not a good feeling. It’s like a throbbing pain that won’t stop.

Once you make the move, it’s like a sense of relief. That’s the best way I can describe it, from my experience anyway.

I believe we have these sensations for a reason. We feel a dissatisfaction, or a tugging in a different direction. When that is prolonged and/or constant, I think we at least need to dig a little deeper and unpack that a bit.

We have to of course discuss the tactical piece of this as well. Because I’m not for just pivoting on a whim with no logic. Which might actually work for some, but it’s def not my game.

Like I said, pivoting can be a huge decision but rarely happens completely overnight. There is strategy and a transition that takes place.

In going from in person to online and planning to travel the world, there was THE MOST planning.

Things needed to prepared and put in place for both of those things to happen. Yes they were big pivotal moves in our life, but they happened over MONTHS. I would argue the big PIVOT feelings happen at the beginning – when you take your first step towards the pivot and then when it happens – the day you re-brand, or get on the plane, or start the new job, or actually have the baby. Like when you decide you’re going to buy a house, and then the day you get the keys and actually move in. Everything else is the transition, the process. But the first and last actions are the pivot-y feeling moments.

I say all that to just make clear that the pivot starts with the decision to say yes, I’m changing direction, this will be my new path and I’m going to start acting accordingly. And then there’s often a lot of things that happen before we’re on the actual new path. Until you take the turn and pivot for real.

When you have clarity – whether through resistance or an inspiring event, it makes pivoting a must. It feels good and in alignment to say yes to the pivot. To the new direction.

I said I’d never coach business because I loathed the way I was targeted and almost preyed on by coaches who coach fitness coaches. But man when I felt I had a better way, and could fill a gap in the industry, I just had to do it. You know when your gut is like, “hiiiiiiiiii you need to do this, even though it’s unknown and scary. Let’s go sister, woman up!” That’s what it was like for me.

And I think that’s where the power of pivoting comes in. When you’re pivoting in alignment, magical things happen. You’re fulfilling that tug rather than resisting it. You’re riding the wave instead of fighting it. And that feels really freaking good. Much better than you felt before the pivot I think.

You’ll get out of your comfort zone by default and learn to trust your intuition. Pivoting means change. And even if it is with clarity and alignment, it’s still new. That means possibly out of the norm, unknowns, and failures along the way. Which all means you get better, you grow, and gain experience.

Das it. Expect to be scared when pivoting. But if you feel that resistance, dissatisfaction or serious inspiration, GO FOR IT. Just start by saying yes, I’m doing this, and then start walking and thinking in that direction.

Review of the week comes from Kathycoo2 and says,

“The episodes are usually short, but each one is packed with information! Annie gets right to the point and doesn’t waste time. I love seeing her personality come through, it makes every episode so entertaining and serves as a reminder that she is a human being too! As someone looking to get started in the fitness industry and someday start a business, I am so happy I’ve found this podcast. The mix of fitness and business knowledge bombs have been SO valuable to me. I truly feel like I’ve benefitted from every episode.”

Remember you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to iTunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>PIVOTING IS INEVITABLE. You’re not on a one way road for eternity with no turns, road blocks, or change of direction. You will at some point, in business, in life or in training, need to pivot. And while pivoting on a soccer pitch or basketball c...

PIVOTING IS INEVITABLE.

You’re not on a one way road for eternity with no turns, road blocks, or change of direction. You will at some point, in business, in life or in training, need to pivot.

And while pivoting on a soccer pitch or basketball court is a quick and often explosive event, it doesn’t have to be in other areas of life. Not always anyway.

I want to discuss when to pivot - what might indicate that you need to pivot? How you might pivot successfully and the power that lies within change of direction.

You can pivot in ANY area of life. Deciding to make a baby is a definite pivot in your life. Starting at a new gym or a new job is a pivot. A pivot is, like I said, a change of direction. In business this could be a small decision like combining two Instagram accounts or huge decision, like changing your business name and offering a new type of service. This was my case in 2018 when I renamed my biz of 3.5 years and in 2019 when I starting coaching business in addition to fitness. These were big pivotal moves and they had immense power.

They were also terrifying. Which is something that often happens along with change.

So, let’s dive into what might happen before a pivot. What might lead you to thinking you need a change of direction. Ideally we don’t pivot via HAVING TO, but that can absolutely happen as well. Something happens in life or business that forces a pivotal event or choice upon you.

But often, we just feel off, or unsatisfied. Perhaps out of alignment. We can also experience some sort of inspiration. You go to an event or have a conversation with someone and realize that you need to take a new course of action.

So you either experience resistance in an area or a tugging or inspiration on the other end of the spectrum.

Because I’ve experienced this mostly in business, that’s what I’ll discuss. But feel free to relate this to anything.

If you’re unsatisfied and experiencing a level of resistance, you’ve got to look at why. Maybe you need to keep grinding but maybe it’s time to pivot. I say that about the grind because if we pivoted every time we felt resistance, we wouldn’t complete anything, ever.

We’re talking about pivoting, not getting past a lack of motivation. Right?

But we still need to know where the resistance is coming from in order to determine where your new direction will be.

That’s where I think EITHER the lack of satisfaction or alignment comes in.

When I transitioned from seven years of in person training to online, that was a huge and terrifying pivot. I’d been building my online platform for years, but I still depended on the security of in person. The decision to cut that off and go all in online was both unknown and so incredibly needed.

I loved my in person clients. They were great and they were certainly not the problem. But I knew I had more to offer and I had reached my ceiling in person. I remember being in the gym, just thinking of everything else I could be doing online. My clients didn’t need me in person if we’re being honest, and I knew it. That left me resenting my job. Again, not resenting my clients, but feeling like I was selling myself short - holding myself back. I found myself thinking,]]>Annie Miller069 | Finances of Biz, Life & Travelhttps://anniemiller.co/069-finances-of-biz-life-travel/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=069-finances-of-biz-life-travel
Tue, 28 Apr 2020 05:00:42 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5608MONEY, BUSINESS, LIFE AND TRAVEL.
Not an accountant, not a financial advisor. Simply sharing my experience and takeaways with finances after almost two years of world travel, growing a biz and doing life in and out of the states.
A huge thing for us when we want to do ANYTHING in life is the HOW. How do we travel the world? And how do we save for a house? Or how do we budget for x and y? How do you pay taxes when you live for more than six months outside of the states? Or how do you plan finances when you have inconsistent income? How do you start investing? And retire as an entrepreneur?
Right!? It’s always the HOW? We just want answers, AND we want to know we’re not alone. That’s someone else has done it before. I say “we” as in everyone. Which might be a lot to assume of me. But I find in most areas of life, that people are generally searching for the “how.”
That’s kind of what I hope to provide today. To pull back the curtain on questions you probably have around our finances, and biz life + travel.
I know I wish people would talk about this stuff, so here I am, talking about it. These aren’t finite, my way or the highway suggestions. They aren’t even necessarily suggestions. Simply our experiences and how we do biz, life and travel from a financial standpoint.
Finances and Biz
You already know I am going to tell you to follow and listen to Chloe at deeper.than.money, and read Profit First if you’re an entrepreneur. Profit First completely changed the way I do biz from a financial standpoint. Before we left in for world travels in 2018 I was desperately searching for a way to track finances and keep my shit straight while spending a lot of money in foreign countries and running a business.
We did a nauseating amount of research on which cards didn’t get flagged for overseas purchases and which ones reimbursed foreign ATM and transaction fees. For us the best option was Charles Schwab. We have absolutely loved them so for. It was easy to set up multiple accounts - which you’ll learn about in Profit First if you read it.
And then we have accounts at an entirely separate bank for taxes. That way, we transfer the money every two weeks to the tax account and it’s out of sight, out of mind. Again, you’ll learn about this tactic in Profit First.
Also - Nate is not an owner or partner in my business. I just keep saying “we” because we both view the money I make as our money. Which is a whole other conversation and I think Chloe from Deeper.Than.Money has done a podcast episode on finances as a couple. But the mindset you and your partner have around finances is more important than I can express. Being on the same page can literally keep relationships from falling apart.
What is it, like sex, finances, religion and kids are the four highest reasons marriages fail? I could be pulling that out of my ass, but I swear that’s a thing.
So, check out Chloe, and know that I think it’s super duper important for partners to be on the same page - whatever that looks like with finances.
For us, the money I generate is just as much Nate’s as it is mine. Know that this is where we’re functioning from in biz, life and travel with finances.
You can come up with an equation - which is basically what Profit First has you do. Equation meaning a % that goes to taxes, biz expenses, and whatever else you need it to go. This can be very individual in your biz.
Then you can do the same thing in your life based on what your biz pays you. I don't know how many times I’ll say this - but we follow the Profit First equation. No surprise I am sure.
Everyone’s equation will be different. But I really like using % instead of a dollar amount every month because I have a biz with inconsistent income. So no matter what, the % are the same every two weeks when I transfer money to different accounts.
That’s another point. We “do finances” every two weeks. Ideally this is the 10th and 25th but when traveling it happ...

MONEY, BUSINESS, LIFE AND TRAVEL.

Not an accountant, not a financial advisor. Simply sharing my experience and takeaways with finances after almost two years of world travel, growing a biz and doing life in and out of the states.

A huge thing for us when we want to do ANYTHING in life is the HOW. How do we travel the world? And how do we save for a house? Or how do we budget for x and y? How do you pay taxes when you live for more than six months outside of the states? Or how do you plan finances when you have inconsistent income? How do you start investing? And retire as an entrepreneur?

Right!? It’s always the HOW? We just want answers, AND we want to know we’re not alone. That’s someone else has done it before. I say “we” as in everyone. Which might be a lot to assume of me. But I find in most areas of life, that people are generally searching for the “how.”

That’s kind of what I hope to provide today. To pull back the curtain on questions you probably have around our finances, and biz life + travel.

I know I wish people would talk about this stuff, so here I am, talking about it. These aren’t finite, my way or the highway suggestions. They aren’t even necessarily suggestions. Simply our experiences and how we do biz, life and travel from a financial standpoint.

Finances and Biz

You already know I am going to tell you to follow and listen to Chloe at deeper.than.money, and read Profit First if you’re an entrepreneur. Profit First completely changed the way I do biz from a financial standpoint. Before we left in for world travels in 2018 I was desperately searching for a way to track finances and keep my shit straight while spending a lot of money in foreign countries and running a business.

We did a nauseating amount of research on which cards didn’t get flagged for overseas purchases and which ones reimbursed foreign ATM and transaction fees. For us the best option was Charles Schwab. We have absolutely loved them so for. It was easy to set up multiple accounts – which you’ll learn about in Profit First if you read it.

And then we have accounts at an entirely separate bank for taxes. That way, we transfer the money every two weeks to the tax account and it’s out of sight, out of mind. Again, you’ll learn about this tactic in Profit First.

Also – Nate is not an owner or partner in my business. I just keep saying “we” because we both view the money I make as our money. Which is a whole other conversation and I think Chloe from Deeper.Than.Money has done a podcast episode on finances as a couple. But the mindset you and your partner have around finances is more important than I can express. Being on the same page can literally keep relationships from falling apart.

What is it, like sex, finances, religion and kids are the four highest reasons marriages fail? I could be pulling that out of my ass, but I swear that’s a thing.

So, check out Chloe, and know that I think it’s super duper important for partners to be on the same page – whatever that looks like with finances.

For us, the money I generate is just as much Nate’s as it is mine. Know that this is where we’re functioning from in biz, life and travel with finances.

You can come up with an equation – which is basically what Profit First has you do. Equation meaning a % that goes to taxes, biz expenses, and whatever else you need it to go. This can be very individual in your biz.

Then you can do the same thing in your life based on what your biz pays you. I don’t know how many times I’ll say this – but we follow the Profit First equation. No surprise I am sure.

Everyone’s equation will be different. But I really like using % instead of a dollar amount every month because I have a biz with inconsistent income. So no matter what, the % are the same every two weeks when I transfer money to different accounts.

That’s another point. We “do finances” every two weeks. Ideally this is the 10th and 25th but when traveling it happens from 9th-11th and 24th-26th typically. This works for us. It will ultimately depend on when money comes in, and when bills go out.

Main point for finance and biz – I keep costs as low as I can. I said I’d never hire someone but it’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made and so incredibly worth the cost.

Straight up on a monthly basis for my biz I pay for:

Blubrry Podcast Hosting

Showit/Wordpress subscription

Canva Pro

Two Adobe accounts

Dropbox

Apple & iTunes

Zoom webinars

Mailchimp

True Coach

Moonclerk – third party payments

Thinkific – host FF

Shopify

Phone

That all adds up just over $1,000 per month + whatever I pay my assistant for the month, which varies on the month.

Some people have biz expenses that take up 50% of their revenue and that is simply not the business model I want to have.

But know that at some point you will be pay people or platforms to run parts of your biz so that you can do your thing and stay in your zone of genius. You will not do EVERYTHING in your biz forever.

I am for minimizing expenses and maximizing profits. However you can make that happen, make it happen.

Moving on to…

Finances and Life & Travel

This is so individualized I can’t even tell you. People ask Nate and I all the time what our budget is for food and accommodation when traveling.

To be honest – we like to live beneath our means. BUT we also like nice things. I believe you can have both.

It’s all just picking and choosing where your money goes or doesn’t go.

I am lumping life and travel into one because for Nate and I these are the one in the same.

Straight up – we don’t have a food budget. This is an area we spend freely because it’s an area we are very passionate about and were restricted in for YEARS of our time together.

Two fun stories on the topic.

When Nate and I got married – we were poor by first world standards. I say that because we had a roof over our heads, and two cars made in the 2000’s. Barely, but still. And we had opportunity to build more for ourselves. I just think that’s important to note.

Anyway – we often overspent on food and had a very restricted budget for food. One night all we had was soup..and not a dime in the bank account to buy anything else. Nate lost it. Not towards me or at me. But he was so frustrated, like into the depths of his soul, that he didn’t have the funds to even drive to Burgerville and get a freaking burger. It was a moment for sure. We didn’t have enough money for anything other than soup, yet were both working full time. If you’ve been there, it’s not a fun place to be.

And it wasn’t our complete norm, okay? But I share the story to express the importance and value that food has for us – and specifically for Nathanael.

Story #2 goes along the same lines. In June 2018 we had started our world travels and were at a winery in Chile. Times were looking up, clearly. I was not rollin’ in the dough at this point yet, but we had saved about $15k for world travels and I was working to grow my biz.

Anyway, we’re at this winery – a meal I would say we decided to splurge on. And it was more than worth it. We had a private wine sommelier who was pairing different wines to our dishes. This was a big deal for us. And we thoroughly enjoyed it.

I asked Nate at this meal something along the lines of “what does having more money look like for you?” Or “why would you want me to make more money?” – something like that. And he said to me “I just want to be able to have meals like this whenever I want. I don’t want our food to be restricted. I hate that.”

For me as the breadwinner – I put that shit in the front filing cabinet of my brain. Make enough so Nate can eat what he wants to. That his freedom right?

It’s why I refer to financial freedom as buying the good bacon without looking at the price.

I used to walk the grocery aisles and add up my total on my phone calculator to make sure I wasn’t going over budget. So the fact that we grocery shop without looking at *most* prices is a HUGE DEAL to us. And it’s an area we don’t restrict. BECAUSE it’s an area we desire near complete freedom within our lives. That’s us. Some financial advisor might tell us we’re ignorant or that this is reckless. We wouldn’t care AT ALL. As long as we’re living beneath our means and freely enjoying food and the experiences we get to have around food, then the Millers are more than happy.

Which brings me back to life and travel – we buy good food, we buy it for other people and we tip well. That’s where we like our money to go. And of course we travel. I don’t buy Gucci shoes and Louis Vuitton bags. Who knows, maybe someday I’ll do both. But for now, I choose food and travel.

You get to decide where yours goes. Remember I am simply pulling back OUR curtain.

So lets lay out some facts and numbers.

In 2018/2019 we paid $25k for all plane tickets and accommodations.

We don’t own a home so consider that as well.

We sold our car that we had a payment on.

Now we have my car at home, and we pay monthly on Nate’s motorcycle.

Other than that, our only expenses are my biz expenses + Nate’s phone. As far as bills go.

We book ahead of time for cars, flights and accommodations. So there is this natural flow that kind of happens. For instance in Patagonia almost nothing could be paid ahead of time but it was all booked several months out, so I had a spreadsheet and knew that during those 26 days, we’d have just over $6k in expenses we’d need to pay for on site. Therefore we made sure to be prepared for that. And then we pre-paid everything for New Zealand and Japan, so once we got to those, all we’d be paying for is food, gas and whatever else we wanted to do.

Both in 2018 and 2019 leading into 2020 we spent $15k + on actual travel and travel needs BEFORE we left. That includes cars, flights, visas, accommodations, bags, clothing and so on.

As far as budgeting for or deciding how much to spend on accommodations – our options definitely improved as I made more but we don’t ball out on all locations by any means. We pick and choose which places we’re willing to splurge and which ones we can settle for.

We might like nice things, but we’re not paying for something that isn’t worth the price – and that definitely goes for accommodations.

What we look for is value – meaning location, safety, reviews, quiet and clean. And we will 100% leave a location if it was not properly represented online. In fact we left our airbnb in Medellin and got a hotel. No refund offered, asked for or provided. It was so loud we couldn’t sleep with earplugs and noise cancelling headphones. Colombia is super cheap so we booked a four star hotel for $35 a night I think it was. We still had a whole week left at our airbnb. But again, willing to pay for value and count the loss on the previous place.

Okay this is getting slightly longer than planned. But there you have it.

You can see where there is not really a blueprint for all of this. Life, Travel and Biz.

I just think it’s important to LOOK at your numbers often, and live beneath your means if you can help it.

For instance we are discussing what to do when we return to the states and what life might look like. We have all the options – we could rent, buy a house, buy land an build a house, we might buy a car. But what’s important for us is being on the same page and being well informed.

We know how to travel the world. We’ve never owned a home, let alone built one. And we know we never want to feel restricted. Which mind you, can happen even when you’re making 20, 30, or 50k per month. So I am not talking restricted via a certain income. Yes income matters, but the expenses, spending habits and mindset are what I believe cause restriction for a lot of people.

Find your system whether in biz or life. That means trial and error. But not looking at numbers, or not managing them will def not get you where you’re wanting to go.

As stated at the beginning – not an accountant, money human or financial advisor. Just sharing a bit of the Millers and how we do life, biz, and traveling the world.

I am sure when we return or buy a house, I’ll share that experience as well. Because numbers will change for sure.

There you have it. Finances in biz life and travel.

Review of the week comes from Maria Vander and says,

“Annie’s well thought out podcasts are sure to deliver you knowledge that you need & some knowledge you didn’t know you needed but she knew you needed and now you’re better for it. Also you’ll leave each podcast feeling motivated to tackle your own personal project because like she says, knowledge is power.”

Remember you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to iTunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>MONEY, BUSINESS, LIFE AND TRAVEL. Not an accountant, not a financial advisor. Simply sharing my experience and takeaways with finances after almost two years of world travel, growing a biz and doing life in and out of the states.

MONEY, BUSINESS, LIFE AND TRAVEL.

Not an accountant, not a financial advisor. Simply sharing my experience and takeaways with finances after almost two years of world travel, growing a biz and doing life in and out of the states.

A huge thing for us when we want to do ANYTHING in life is the HOW. How do we travel the world? And how do we save for a house? Or how do we budget for x and y? How do you pay taxes when you live for more than six months outside of the states? Or how do you plan finances when you have inconsistent income? How do you start investing? And retire as an entrepreneur?

Right!? It’s always the HOW? We just want answers, AND we want to know we’re not alone. That’s someone else has done it before. I say “we” as in everyone. Which might be a lot to assume of me. But I find in most areas of life, that people are generally searching for the “how.”

That’s kind of what I hope to provide today. To pull back the curtain on questions you probably have around our finances, and biz life + travel.

I know I wish people would talk about this stuff, so here I am, talking about it. These aren’t finite, my way or the highway suggestions. They aren’t even necessarily suggestions. Simply our experiences and how we do biz, life and travel from a financial standpoint.

Finances and Biz

You already know I am going to tell you to follow and listen to Chloe at deeper.than.money, and read Profit First if you’re an entrepreneur. Profit First completely changed the way I do biz from a financial standpoint. Before we left in for world travels in 2018 I was desperately searching for a way to track finances and keep my shit straight while spending a lot of money in foreign countries and running a business.

We did a nauseating amount of research on which cards didn’t get flagged for overseas purchases and which ones reimbursed foreign ATM and transaction fees. For us the best option was Charles Schwab. We have absolutely loved them so for. It was easy to set up multiple accounts - which you’ll learn about in Profit First if you read it.

And then we have accounts at an entirely separate bank for taxes. That way, we transfer the money every two weeks to the tax account and it’s out of sight, out of mind. Again, you’ll learn about this tactic in Profit First.

Also - Nate is not an owner or partner in my business. I just keep saying “we” because we both view the money I make as our money. Which is a whole other conversation and I think Chloe from Deeper.Than.Money has done a podcast episode on finances as a couple. But the mindset you and your partner have around finances is more important than I can express. Being on the same page can literally keep relationships from falling apart.

What is it, like sex, finances, religion and kids are the four highest reasons marriages fail? I could be pulling that out of my ass, but I swear that’s a thing.

So, check out Chloe, and know that I think it’s super duper important for partners to be on the same page - whatever that looks like with finances.

For us, the money I generate is just as much Nate’s as it is mine. Know that this is where we’re functioning from in biz, life and travel with finances.

You can come up with an equation - which is basically what Profit First has you do. Equation meaning a % that goes to taxes, biz expenses, and whatever else you need it to go. This can be very individual in your biz.

]]>Annie Miller33:29068 | Programs I No Longer Offer & Whyhttps://anniemiller.co/068-programs-i-no-longer-offer-why/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=068-programs-i-no-longer-offer-why
Tue, 21 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5606I HAVE PHASED OUT + ADDED ALMOST TEN PROGRAMS IN TWO YEARS.
I hope that if you’re an entrepreneur or you want to be, you learn A LOT from this episode. Today I am aggressively pulling back the curtain on the past years of my business and the transition to what it is in present time.
This episode came from this idea that people see my biz now, where it is, and may not know where it came from.
And that sometimes we need a reminder to not compare our first year of biz (or anything for that matter) with someone who is further ahead.
Even more, to not copy what someone else is doing because they will likely change or even get rid of whatever you just copied. I have done this in the past and throughout my entrepreneurial journey.
Thought “oh, so and so does this, and they’re successful, so I should do that.” Now, I am not talking about copying verbatim, rather concepts and formatting. But still, I’d roll something out, thinking I’d be done, and then that person who I got the idea from, rolls out something new and better. It’s just not a good plan fam. You’re always behind, and you’re not focused on you and yours - what your audience really needs from you.
So, I’d like to share some of the programs and segments of programs that I’ve had through the last five years and why I no longer offer them.
Even if you’re not an entrepreneur there is likely a takeaway here for you on some level.
I had the first four programs all the way into 2018. So the transition to the Annie Miller Concepts you see now didn’t happen that long ago.
And the transition I am talking about came out of really honing in who I was meant to serve and what that person truly needed from me. That would be my Ideal Client Avatar and I literally used my FREE PDF Ideal Client Avatar Creator to clearly define my dream audience. Then promptly got rid of all programs that didn’t serve that person.
Which brings me to my first four programs that I no longer offer at Annie Miller Concepts:
20 day challenge
6 week transformation
Pull up guide
Macro + nutrition breakdown
Starting with the 20 day challenge -
This was my first ever offer and I straight up made it while I was still in college and I saw Emily Schromm doing her 21 day challenges. It was appealing. $21, 21 days and you basically give people the basics. It’s a kick start. Mine was nowhere near hers. But it was valuable AF. I made videos for 20 days and posted a new one everyday in the Facebook group. They received recipes, workouts and handouts. It really was a shit load of value and mine was $20 for 20 days.
It worked too - people lost weight and inches. I got testimonials, and people always joined.
But there was so much wrong with this.
I was attracting people who were not actually my ideal clients. The offer didn’t make any sense for where I wanted to go and who I wanted to work with. I loved writing weight lifting programs. People who are looking for a 20 day kickstart ARE NOT looking for a legit weight lifting program…Not a great start to my offer pyramid or offer suite.It was $20 and I had like 300 followers on Instagram and 47 people on my mailing list…I also paid for Facebook ads that did absolutely nothing for me because I had no idea what I was doing. I am on team organic growth and sales until you’re established. Then enter into paid advertising when you can hire an expert to do it for you. That’s my personal take, you can have yours.Do the math - $20 and a small audience is not how you make a sustainable income online or in person. And I did a challenge every quarter. The most I ever had was 52 people I think. Thats $1,040 folks…Mind you, it was not easy to run these challenges either. You heard me list off what was included! Videos, daily workouts, emails, facebook group, PDFs.And Lord knows barely any of that was automated. I was doing an ungodly amount of work for barely any money. NOT A GOOD BUSINESS MODEL.
So,

I HAVE PHASED OUT + ADDED ALMOST TEN PROGRAMS IN TWO YEARS.

I hope that if you’re an entrepreneur or you want to be, you learn A LOT from this episode. Today I am aggressively pulling back the curtain on the past years of my business and the transition to what it is in present time.

This episode came from this idea that people see my biz now, where it is, and may not know where it came from.

And that sometimes we need a reminder to not compare our first year of biz (or anything for that matter) with someone who is further ahead.

Even more, to not copy what someone else is doing because they will likely change or even get rid of whatever you just copied. I have done this in the past and throughout my entrepreneurial journey.

Thought “oh, so and so does this, and they’re successful, so I should do that.” Now, I am not talking about copying verbatim, rather concepts and formatting. But still, I’d roll something out, thinking I’d be done, and then that person who I got the idea from, rolls out something new and better. It’s just not a good plan fam. You’re always behind, and you’re not focused on you and yours – what your audience really needs from you.

So, I’d like to share some of the programs and segments of programs that I’ve had through the last five years and why I no longer offer them.

Even if you’re not an entrepreneur there is likely a takeaway here for you on some level.

I had the first four programs all the way into 2018. So the transition to the Annie Miller Concepts you see now didn’t happen that long ago.

And the transition I am talking about came out of really honing in who I was meant to serve and what that person truly needed from me. That would be my Ideal Client Avatar and I literally used my FREE PDF Ideal Client Avatar Creator to clearly define my dream audience. Then promptly got rid of all programs that didn’t serve that person.

Which brings me to my first four programs that I no longer offer at Annie Miller Concepts:

20 day challenge

6 week transformation

Pull up guide

Macro + nutrition breakdown

Starting with the 20 day challenge –

This was my first ever offer and I straight up made it while I was still in college and I saw Emily Schromm doing her 21 day challenges. It was appealing. $21, 21 days and you basically give people the basics. It’s a kick start. Mine was nowhere near hers. But it was valuable AF. I made videos for 20 days and posted a new one everyday in the Facebook group. They received recipes, workouts and handouts. It really was a shit load of value and mine was $20 for 20 days.

It worked too – people lost weight and inches. I got testimonials, and people always joined.

But there was so much wrong with this.

I was attracting people who were not actually my ideal clients. The offer didn’t make any sense for where I wanted to go and who I wanted to work with. I loved writing weight lifting programs. People who are looking for a 20 day kickstart ARE NOT looking for a legit weight lifting program…Not a great start to my offer pyramid or offer suite.

It was $20 and I had like 300 followers on Instagram and 47 people on my mailing list…I also paid for Facebook ads that did absolutely nothing for me because I had no idea what I was doing. I am on team organic growth and sales until you’re established. Then enter into paid advertising when you can hire an expert to do it for you. That’s my personal take, you can have yours.

Do the math – $20 and a small audience is not how you make a sustainable income online or in person. And I did a challenge every quarter. The most I ever had was 52 people I think. Thats $1,040 folks…Mind you, it was not easy to run these challenges either. You heard me list off what was included! Videos, daily workouts, emails, facebook group, PDFs.

And Lord knows barely any of that was automated. I was doing an ungodly amount of work for barely any money. NOT A GOOD BUSINESS MODEL.

So, we have a program that attracts people I don’t actually want to work with. That has me doing work I am not actually passionate about. At a price point that has be losing a nauseating amount of time and making microscopic profit…

What do I do? Create another program to bridge the gap between my two offers.

At this point, I had the 20 day challenge because in my brain this was “fast cash” and then I had my 1:1 programming. These were attracting very different clientele. 1:1 has always been weight lifting based. They have always been closest to my ICA even from the beginning. So, what did I do?

I created my 6 week transformation.

Again – I used marketable words. 20 day challenge and 6 week transformation.

These both indicate a short time span and an end date. Again, not attracting the type of person I ACTUALLY want to work with.

BUT – we were getting closer. The six week transformation was somewhere between $67 – $97 I think.

I had a body weight, dumbbell and barbell 6 week transformation. Fam, I was in fact learning and starting to think more like an entrepreneur. The idea was an offer pyramid, I just didn’t know what I was doing at the time.

Someone would do the 20 day challenge, love it, and sign up for one of the 6 week transformations. This was a downloadable and fillable PDF with a six week block of training. So there was no work from me. They bought it, and I sent it to them. Done.

Just like the 20 day challenge these were VALUABLE. To this day that programming was still effective and efficient. They got access to a video log with all exercises and coaching for those exercises.

We knew fitness, just didn’t know business. Which is all too common in the online and even in person world.

So like I said – the offer pyramid in my mind would do this —> 20 day challenge, 6 week transformation (within this, someone could do body weight then dumbbell then barbell) and then they’d sign up for 1:1.

Not bad in theory but it poses the same problem as the 20 day challenge. They type of person who is looking for a 20 day quick fix is not looking for 1:1 weight lifting. Therefore the up-sell was not effective. Yes, it worked to some extent. I sold a lot of 6 week transformations and I did get some 1:1 clients but rarely from the up-sell – moreso just from the different programs attracting different people.

Now we have an ineffective offer pyramid but a lot of value and we are getting closer to who we want to work with. I am starting to hone in what I actually want to do. And making more money – the six week transformation required no work from me.

The last two of the four were the Pull Up Guide and Macro + Nutritional breakdown.

These are perfect examples of trying to build an offer suite and just not getting it right.

I created a pull up guide because a lot of women want to get a pull up – and I thought it would be a great low ticket offer to get people into the 6 week transformation OR a great add on for someone who is doing the 6 week transformation.

Here’s the deal. It would have been effective if someone actually followed it. But it is more effective to just hire a coach or follow a program like Built by Annie that improves pull ups as part of the entire program. Very few humans are going to just follow a pull up guide. And that human likely already knows how to lift weights, is disciplined, but just can’t seem to get a pull up.

THAT is not the person I was marketing to or attracting.

I want to pause to point out the insane importance of knowing your ideal client and matching offers to the exact needs of that ideal client.

All of my previous offers are perfect examples of GREAT offers. All were jam packed full of value, had great seamless delivery and worked. But they weren’t made for my ideal client, and they each attracted different people just based on the product themselves. Therefore I had an ineffective offer suite.

I really hope that hits home and makes sense for you. It’s very important that offers make sense for the market and audience you’re working with.

So the pull up guide was great but not what I should have spent time and money creating. And then we had the macro + nutritional breakdown.

I’ve mentioned this before…

People wanted nutrition so I thought I had to provide it. FALSE.

It was my worst product in my opinion. I mean it still worked, it was simple and effective. But I am not a dietician or nutrition coach. It’s not what I am passionate about and I made it in order to fill a gap I thought I needed to fill.

I dropped all of these programs after re-viewing and taking a deep dive into my ideal client, my only statement for my biz, and deciding what I TRULY wanted to do in this space.

In 2018 and 2019 I got rid of every program we just covered, and created all the programs I have now on the fitness side.

And a relaunch of Built by Annie to help it serve my ideal client EVEN BETTER.

All educational weight lifting based programs that target the woman who has experience in the gym or is serious about learning to lift weights safely, for the long haul, and loves the process.

And that actually brings me to my next and final segment of a program that I no longer offer.

The other situation I no longer offer is Live Calls for Built By Annie.

When I relaunched in September 2018 with the second BBA – which now included basic, plus, premium 1 and premium 2, I added the educational component of live calls. I did this every month for 13 months and it involved creating a Canva presentation, doing the and recording the call + answering Q&A.

Pretty sweet, right? Why phase it out?

Because as an entrepreneur and CEO I am always looking for ways to be more efficient, provide value, and work less.

Which is why Annie’s Secret Lab of Brain Gains was created.

I found that most BBA clients were watching the calls on replay and not coming in for live Q&A. So it didn’t make sense for me to be spending four hours per month on the call creation + call itself.

I was doing more work than I needed to – which is never the goal.

I had all the call material. So I decided to create a type of client portal instead where clients could go view the calls at their own pace. Annie’s Secret Lab of Brain Gains also opened the door for a space to have other resources. I can add to it over time and improve it whenever I like. This is a win for me and my clients.

Live calls worked for a time in Built by Annie but they weren’t necessary for my ideal client. Not in the format that I was presenting them. The Secret Lab is much better for them. They can view the videos at their own leisure and have access to everything in one place.

But I want to point out that the live calls in FitsPRO Foundations are huge and needed for those clients. If you don’t know, that is my six week online biz course for fitness professionals in the online space. It would do a disservice to Fitspro Foundations to remove the live calls and have pre-recorded ones like BBA because the live calls are SO HELPFUL to my biz clients and a large portion of the calls are dedicated to small group coaching with live Q&A. So for now, that remains a very effective portion of the course.

As an entrepreneur and CEO you should always be looking at efficiency and if you’re doing too much work. Because we can often keep adding work when it is truly not necessary. What does the client need? Provide only that, and in the most efficient and effective way you know how.

The live calls were not needed long term for BBA but served a great purpose while I had them.

That’s what this is all about. Doing, learning, and doing better.

There was always value in my offers. They just weren’t always in alignment with who I truly wanted to serve and what I was made to do in this field.

Now you have the TEA on all my past programs and why I no longer offer them. This was a fun one for me to talk about and I certainly hope it was a fun one for you to listen to – whether entrepreneur or not.

If you don’t know your ideal client and feel a bit like I did back at in 2017 and beginning of 2018, check out my free download – Ideal Client Avatar creator. Don’t half ass it. Because as you can see, you’ll create offers, content and products based around this person. And it can be a beautiful thing, or a long slow train wreck.

That’s all! We did it.

Now review the podcast.

Review of the week comes from sarah.g.fitness and says,

“Annie does an amazing job sharing clear & concise information with actionable steps. Many business podcasts fill their episodes with a lot of fluff, but Annie gets straight to the point! I love the no nonsense approach to business & fitness!”

Remember you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to iTunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>I HAVE PHASED OUT + ADDED ALMOST TEN PROGRAMS IN TWO YEARS. I hope that if you’re an entrepreneur or you want to be, you learn A LOT from this episode. Today I am aggressively pulling back the curtain on the past years of my business and the transit...

I HAVE PHASED OUT + ADDED ALMOST TEN PROGRAMS IN TWO YEARS.

I hope that if you’re an entrepreneur or you want to be, you learn A LOT from this episode. Today I am aggressively pulling back the curtain on the past years of my business and the transition to what it is in present time.

This episode came from this idea that people see my biz now, where it is, and may not know where it came from.

And that sometimes we need a reminder to not compare our first year of biz (or anything for that matter) with someone who is further ahead.

Even more, to not copy what someone else is doing because they will likely change or even get rid of whatever you just copied. I have done this in the past and throughout my entrepreneurial journey.

Thought “oh, so and so does this, and they’re successful, so I should do that.” Now, I am not talking about copying verbatim, rather concepts and formatting. But still, I’d roll something out, thinking I’d be done, and then that person who I got the idea from, rolls out something new and better. It’s just not a good plan fam. You’re always behind, and you’re not focused on you and yours - what your audience really needs from you.

So, I’d like to share some of the programs and segments of programs that I’ve had through the last five years and why I no longer offer them.

Even if you’re not an entrepreneur there is likely a takeaway here for you on some level.

I had the first four programs all the way into 2018. So the transition to the Annie Miller Concepts you see now didn’t happen that long ago.

And the transition I am talking about came out of really honing in who I was meant to serve and what that person truly needed from me. That would be my Ideal Client Avatar and I literally used my FREE PDF Ideal Client Avatar Creator to clearly define my dream audience. Then promptly got rid of all programs that didn’t serve that person.

Which brings me to my first four programs that I no longer offer at Annie Miller Concepts:

20 day challenge

6 week transformation

Pull up guide

Macro + nutrition breakdown

Starting with the 20 day challenge -

This was my first ever offer and I straight up made it while I was still in college and I saw Emily Schromm doing her 21 day challenges. It was appealing. $21, 21 days and you basically give people the basics. It’s a kick start. Mine was nowhere near hers. But it was valuable AF. I made videos for 20 days and posted a new one everyday in the Facebook group. They received recipes, workouts and handouts. It really was a shit load of value and mine was $20 for 20 days.

It worked too - people lost weight and inches. I got testimonials, and people always joined.

But there was so much wrong with this.

* I was attracting people who were not actually my ideal clients. The offer didn’t make any sense for where I wanted to go and who I wanted to work with. I loved writing weight lifting programs. People who are looking for a 20 day kickstart ARE NOT looking for a legit weight lifting program…Not a great start to my offer pyramid or offer suite.* It was $20 and I had like 300 followers on Instagram and 47 people on my mailing list…I also paid for Facebook ads that did absolutely nothing for me because I had no idea what I was doing. I am on team organic growth and sales until you’re established. Then enter into paid advertising when you can hire an expert to do it for you. That’s my personal take,]]>Annie Miller067 | 3 Ways To Protect Your Timehttps://anniemiller.co/067-3-ways-to-protect-your-time/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=067-3-ways-to-protect-your-time
Tue, 14 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5604YOUR TIME NEEDS PROTECTING.
Time is THE MOST important in my opinion. It’s one of the only things in life we don’t get back. I don’t say that to be dramatic, rather realistic.
When it comes to relationships, goals, rest and anything valuable to you, I encourage you to focus on learning to protect your time.
You have choices. And those choices often either include you being in control of how your time is used or you allowing others to dictate how your time is used. Because that is the truth - yes, there are always things that will happen outside of your control. That’s life. But far too often, I think people allow other people and circumstances to use up their time when they’d rather be using it otherwise.
That’s the real topic of today - how to lead with decisions that feed how you ACTUALLY want to use your time. And this WILL inevitably cause you to get uncomfortable because it means saying no to people, turning down invitations, and having people question you. THAT can be a very hard reality for some people. You don’t want to disappoint, or feel awkward, or have someone else feel awkward.
But you are not responsible for the way your NO makes someone else FEEL. That’s in their backpack, not yours. More on that later.
So, just know that protecting your time sounds fancy, and liberating. But it’s not easy, and you may offend loved ones and friends in the process. Just a heads up.
Now, let’s get into the three ways you can start protecting your time.
And in protecting your time - creating more freedom, space, and clarity for you. To reach goals, create goals, or just do whatever the heck you want to with it!
Number one…
SET & EMBRACE BOUNDARIES
As an entrepreneur and someone who has taken training very seriously over the years, learning to set boundaries around my time has been monumental for reaching goals and staying on course. And this is not something I am naturally good at. I don’t know that anyone is naturally good at this to be honest.
I can imagine for moms, protecting your time is HUGE. By default, part of your time is simply NOT YOURS. This is also why I tell single women to chase their freaking dreams with everything they have while there is no significant other or small humans to consider in that process. It’s the optimal time to be selfish. So I encourage it heavily. That’s not to say you can’t chase dreams and goals in a relationship or while raising kids, but it would be naive and borderline ignorant to think it’s the same as doing so without having other people to consider.
As moms, you have the demands of other humans whose survival literally depends on you. So, protecting the small amount of time you get yourself can be a game changer.
I also want to point out this doesn’t have to be bath tub time or self pamper time. It’s just saying you’re going to spend X amount time doing Y and then setting boundaries to protect that relationship with yourself and your time. So whatever it is that YOU want to do with YOUR TIME - that’s what I am referring to.
So, how do we set boundaries around our time?
First off, you can’t have a boundary if you don’t know what you’re keeping in and out of bounds right? And side note - you’ll find that all three of these “ways to protect your time” overlap and can be used together.
For setting and embracing boundaries - you’ll need to come up with the actual boundaries.
If you work for yourself, this is stopping work at a certain time, or perhaps dedicating a certain amount of hours to work per week.
For anyone - this could be sleeping with your phone in a different room.
In relationships this could be how much time you give a certain person per week or per day depending on the relationship. How much time you give to a certain task within that relationship.
Play with this. There is no boundary to boundaries. You have time, and you’re simply deciding what is a yes and what is a no for that.

YOUR TIME NEEDS PROTECTING.

Time is THE MOST important in my opinion. It’s one of the only things in life we don’t get back. I don’t say that to be dramatic, rather realistic.

When it comes to relationships, goals, rest and anything valuable to you, I encourage you to focus on learning to protect your time.

You have choices. And those choices often either include you being in control of how your time is used or you allowing others to dictate how your time is used. Because that is the truth – yes, there are always things that will happen outside of your control. That’s life. But far too often, I think people allow other people and circumstances to use up their time when they’d rather be using it otherwise.

That’s the real topic of today – how to lead with decisions that feed how you ACTUALLY want to use your time. And this WILL inevitably cause you to get uncomfortable because it means saying no to people, turning down invitations, and having people question you. THAT can be a very hard reality for some people. You don’t want to disappoint, or feel awkward, or have someone else feel awkward.

But you are not responsible for the way your NO makes someone else FEEL. That’s in their backpack, not yours. More on that later.

So, just know that protecting your time sounds fancy, and liberating. But it’s not easy, and you may offend loved ones and friends in the process. Just a heads up.

Now, let’s get into the three ways you can start protecting your time.

And in protecting your time – creating more freedom, space, and clarity for you. To reach goals, create goals, or just do whatever the heck you want to with it!

Number one…

SET & EMBRACE BOUNDARIES

As an entrepreneur and someone who has taken training very seriously over the years, learning to set boundaries around my time has been monumental for reaching goals and staying on course. And this is not something I am naturally good at. I don’t know that anyone is naturally good at this to be honest.

I can imagine for moms, protecting your time is HUGE. By default, part of your time is simply NOT YOURS. This is also why I tell single women to chase their freaking dreams with everything they have while there is no significant other or small humans to consider in that process. It’s the optimal time to be selfish. So I encourage it heavily. That’s not to say you can’t chase dreams and goals in a relationship or while raising kids, but it would be naive and borderline ignorant to think it’s the same as doing so without having other people to consider.

As moms, you have the demands of other humans whose survival literally depends on you. So, protecting the small amount of time you get yourself can be a game changer.

I also want to point out this doesn’t have to be bath tub time or self pamper time. It’s just saying you’re going to spend X amount time doing Y and then setting boundaries to protect that relationship with yourself and your time. So whatever it is that YOU want to do with YOUR TIME – that’s what I am referring to.

So, how do we set boundaries around our time?

First off, you can’t have a boundary if you don’t know what you’re keeping in and out of bounds right? And side note – you’ll find that all three of these “ways to protect your time” overlap and can be used together.

For setting and embracing boundaries – you’ll need to come up with the actual boundaries.

If you work for yourself, this is stopping work at a certain time, or perhaps dedicating a certain amount of hours to work per week.

For anyone – this could be sleeping with your phone in a different room.

In relationships this could be how much time you give a certain person per week or per day depending on the relationship. How much time you give to a certain task within that relationship.

Play with this. There is no boundary to boundaries. You have time, and you’re simply deciding what is a yes and what is a no for that. If you’re doing something with your time that you don’t want to do anymore, then something has to change. And setting boundaries can be very helpful in that process.

I only do True Coach check ins one day per week. That’s a boundary I have with my time. I hate working past 6pm – it feels like my work seeps into my life too much at that point. So I set boundaries with myself.

When lifting weights is a top priority for me, I don’t stay out past 10pm. That’s something I am willing to do because I know how monumental sleep is for me when I take training seriously. I have no problem saying to friends, “yeah, we can totally meet up, but I’ll have to head home before 10.” How they respond to that is not on me.

Often I think people are too concerned that the other person will feel that whatever you’re choosing is “more important” than them or what they’re asking you to do. It’s not a them thing. It’s a time thing. Yes, having time to get groceries after getting coffee with a friend is more important than spending an extra hour with that friend. I need groceries, and this is the time when that can happen. It’s really not personal.

Separate it my friend. Boundaries mean there has to in fact BE A BOUNDARY. Meaning there will have to be no’s – that’s not allowed, that’s out of bounds for me and my time.

Also, this can change. I mentioned that I have different boundaries around time when I am training seriously than when I am not. Same goes for business – when I am creating a new product or launching something, I will have different boundaries for my time. So don’t feel restricted or stuck with these boundaries. They can change, and will ebb and flow with your life. And remember they are there to create space and freedom for you, to help you have less resentment towards time and how you’re using it.

Let’s move on to number two…

TRACK IT

Track your time! This has been huge for me in my life, period. Our perception is so often incorrect about how we spend our waking hours.

What we track, we can manage.

Tracking your time and then planning your time is so helpful in PROTECTING IT. If we don’t track it, do we really know how we are currently using it? No. I don’t think so.

So, you can track your time in a an electronic situation like Google Calendar, or you can use the Notes app or do what I do, which is use a paper planner with actual time slots in it. My fav planner is the Day Designer. And the larger version has 30 minute time slots from 5am to 9pm I think. While traveling I use the smaller version which only has hour increments from 7am to 7pm.

Regardless of the time slots, I write exact times in the planner next to tasks everyday. Call me crazy, it helps me see how I really spend my time. I write when Nate and I go to breakfast, if I scrolled Instagram, if I took a shower, if I did True Coach check ins with my clients, or drafted podcasts, wrote programs, worked out, or edited photos. It all goes in the planner. At least 85-90% of the time I’d say.

I started tracking my time like this a LONG time ago when I was in college, doing to internships and working. It was the only way I could do all the things and keep my head on straight. And it has stuck with me ever since. I just like to see the data and give context to progress or lack of progress. Hopefully you can grasp that.

So if you don’t track your time now, I encourage you to do so. Like I said, I did it in college while working and having two internships in two states. You can do it. If you want to see how you spend your time, track it.

It is also beneficial to track your time when looking back. So you can reflect on the last week, month, or year and see why something did or didn’t happen. Maybe why you’re feeling a certain why about something.

Tracking your time can be a great way to start protecting it. I highly suggest doing it.

WRITE DOWN NON-NEGOTIABLES

I am sure you won’t be surprised that the third way to protect your time also involves writing. And in a way it is a combination of 1 and 2. I’m a huge fan of writing things down. The best experts in most areas of life will tell you that there is power in writing down goals, visions, aspirations and affirmations.

Your time is no different. Write down your non-negotiables. This could also be your boundaries. I know I feel like crap if I stay out late. I know I eat worse, and likely drink more – even if just at a friends house. Nate and I are definitely not party animals, and you know I like my 8-10 hours of sleep per night.

So, a non-negotiable for me could be a bed time.

Again, this non-negotiable could be something I write down for a weekend trip, or a straight up lifestyle non-negotiable.

But either way, write them down. What do you stand firm on with your time? In your biz, this could be hours in which you respond to clients. Or when you check your email. For me, it’s writing time – I write the best in silence, uninterrupted. So, I don’t write if that’s not the case. I just know that it feels like a waste of time to try and write while multitasking or having distractions. That’s a non-negotiable for me.

However you want to use your time – what are non-negotiables for you? Identify them, and write them down.

This can be something you write in your planner or on your phone screensaver. But claim it. Make it clear to yourself so you can make it clear to others if need be. For instance, Nate knows that I want to rage and poke his eyeballs out if he up and speaks to me when I am writing or in a work flow. Don’t freaking talk to me. That’s a boundary, and a non-negotiable. And I discovered that through writing in my Friday Reflections, which is another non-negotiable for me. It’s worth my time to reflect and plan on Fridays for 30 minutes.

In that Friday reflection I have to identify three lessons from that past week. And I kept repeating that I write and work best in silence, without distraction. So that quickly became a non-negotiable for me.

Like I said, writing is powerful. Well really, just processing and reflecting is powerful. However you do that best. I know friends who use therapy or voxer to process and improve because they are verbal processors. That works too!

But either way, however you do it, proclaim your non-negotiables in regards to how you are willing to spend your time. Because you, my friend, are in control of more than you think. And you’re probably making choices right now that don’t serve your real desires, and could be easily changed with some tracking and setting empowering boundaries.

Hopefully you got something from this episode. Time is important and it’s kind of a big deal. Your time is not my time. Which is beautiful. We each get to decide how we spend a large portion of it.

That’s all I’ve got! Protect your time. You can, and I think you’ll enjoy life more if you give it a go.

Review of the week comes from Sarah Tier and says,

“I discovered this podcast through Annie’s Instagram and immediately binge-listened to 5 episodes. These helped me get through the monotonous tasks of cleaning and laundry, and at one point I had to stop what I was doing to take notes. She has a no-BS approach to fitness and business (I’m here mostly for business), and Annie spills her “secrets” aka real tips and strategies you can borrow and implement right away. She displays her knowledge so well that she has become a trusted resource for me, which has led to me investing in her FitsPRO Foundations course. Thanks Annie!”

Remember you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to iTunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>YOUR TIME NEEDS PROTECTING. Time is THE MOST important in my opinion. It’s one of the only things in life we don’t get back. I don’t say that to be dramatic, rather realistic. When it comes to relationships, goals,

YOUR TIME NEEDS PROTECTING.

Time is THE MOST important in my opinion. It’s one of the only things in life we don’t get back. I don’t say that to be dramatic, rather realistic.

When it comes to relationships, goals, rest and anything valuable to you, I encourage you to focus on learning to protect your time.

You have choices. And those choices often either include you being in control of how your time is used or you allowing others to dictate how your time is used. Because that is the truth - yes, there are always things that will happen outside of your control. That’s life. But far too often, I think people allow other people and circumstances to use up their time when they’d rather be using it otherwise.

That’s the real topic of today - how to lead with decisions that feed how you ACTUALLY want to use your time. And this WILL inevitably cause you to get uncomfortable because it means saying no to people, turning down invitations, and having people question you. THAT can be a very hard reality for some people. You don’t want to disappoint, or feel awkward, or have someone else feel awkward.

But you are not responsible for the way your NO makes someone else FEEL. That’s in their backpack, not yours. More on that later.

So, just know that protecting your time sounds fancy, and liberating. But it’s not easy, and you may offend loved ones and friends in the process. Just a heads up.

Now, let’s get into the three ways you can start protecting your time.

And in protecting your time - creating more freedom, space, and clarity for you. To reach goals, create goals, or just do whatever the heck you want to with it!

Number one…

SET & EMBRACE BOUNDARIES

As an entrepreneur and someone who has taken training very seriously over the years, learning to set boundaries around my time has been monumental for reaching goals and staying on course. And this is not something I am naturally good at. I don’t know that anyone is naturally good at this to be honest.

I can imagine for moms, protecting your time is HUGE. By default, part of your time is simply NOT YOURS. This is also why I tell single women to chase their freaking dreams with everything they have while there is no significant other or small humans to consider in that process. It’s the optimal time to be selfish. So I encourage it heavily. That’s not to say you can’t chase dreams and goals in a relationship or while raising kids, but it would be naive and borderline ignorant to think it’s the same as doing so without having other people to consider.

As moms, you have the demands of other humans whose survival literally depends on you. So, protecting the small amount of time you get yourself can be a game changer.

I also want to point out this doesn’t have to be bath tub time or self pamper time. It’s just saying you’re going to spend X amount time doing Y and then setting boundaries to protect that relationship with yourself and your time. So whatever it is that YOU want to do with YOUR TIME - that’s what I am referring to.

So, how do we set boundaries around our time?

First off, you can’t have a boundary if you don’t know what you’re keeping in and out of bounds right? And side note - you’ll find that all three of these “ways to protect your time” overlap and can be used together.

For setting and embracing boundaries - you’ll need to come up with the actual boundaries.

If you work for yourself, this is stopping work at a certain time,]]>Annie Miller066 | Five Reasons to do Cardiohttps://anniemiller.co/066-five-reasons-to-do-cardio/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=066-five-reasons-to-do-cardio
Tue, 07 Apr 2020 05:00:00 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5602CARDIO IS NEEDED. PERIOD.
It’s no secret that I like lifting weights more than doing cardio.
That includes any form of cardio - lifting weights faster, running, rowing, biking, stairs, hiking, all of it.
BUT - we need cardio and being conditioned has awesome carry over into lifting more weights. So here we are, talking about cardio.
Imma share five reasons to do cardio. And I’ll likely dive a bit deeper into some of these than others, but I’m stoked for this one. So let’s get to it.
NUMBER 1: Improve energy systems
Under ESD we improve heart rate variability, improve our anaerobic and aerobic thresholds.
High HRV - anabolic state (recovery state)
Low HRV - catabolic state (lead to over training rather than over reaching)
Want to be anabolic AFTER training, which is also why a cool down is important. You’ve ramped yourself up from training, and are in a catabolic state. A cool down can help bring it back to a more anabolic, parasympathetic state.
It’s not only WORKING at a certain heart rate but then working on getting it DOWN in the rest interval - often 50 beats below max during the working period. This has huge carryover into strength training and work capacity. Your ability to bring the heart rate rate down after a working set so that accumulation doesn’t completely toast you when you should be focused on taxing the muscles.
It just teaches you so much and it brought me back to loving cardio and conditioning after hating it for years. And that’s because I had purpose for it. There were goals within the heart rate training and it gave me a protocol to follow. Which for me, makes it more enjoyable and attainable. For instance I needed to keep heart rate at 170 +\- 5 beats per minute for three minutes. And then rest for two minutes or until my heart rate drops to 130. And that’s how you track progress - how quickly the heart rate recovers. When it starts to not recover, you know you’re reaching your current threshold.
ANYWAY - you can see why it’s amazing and effective.
I have been following Joel Jamieson for almost 10 years now. Before Instagram posts were education based, I used his blog, 8 Weeks Out almost exclusively for conditioning information.
And then of course I use his protocols in BBA for conditioning - and that’s from his book Ultimate MMA Conditioning. It’s a super easy but understandable read, and has progressive protocols for cardiac output, thresholds, high intensity continuous training, cardiac power intervals, and so on and so forth. It gives PURPOSE to your cardio and I swear once you know about energy systems development, you can’t go back and all other cardio feels pointless.
But, it’s not always pointless...which brings us to our next point.
NUMBER 2: Improve cardiovascular health
This is a follow up and likely a byproduct of number one. Ideally improving your energy systems improves your cardiovascular health.
And when I talk about cardiovascular health I am referring to your heart's ability to function optimally and efficiently. Get blood where it needs to go with the least amount of work.
That’s really it. As you improve heart rate variability and recovery, your heart becomes an efficient, well oiled machine, which then puts less stress on your heart.
NUMBER 3: Increase caloric deficit
This one is where “pointless cardio” is fine. This is not a scenario I use with my clients, but it can certainly be effective.
There is SOME truth to cardio being aligned with losing weight. And in the simplest form, it can increase your caloric deficit. We then need to consider your strength training. And in that case I’d suggest doing cardio separate from strength training or after strength training if they have to happen back to back.
I have a full call on this in Annie’s Secret Lab of Brain Gains, exclusive to Built By Annie. But if strength training is the main goal and cardio is just being used as a tool to burn more calories instead of eatin...

CARDIO IS NEEDED. PERIOD.

It’s no secret that I like lifting weights more than doing cardio.

That includes any form of cardio – lifting weights faster, running, rowing, biking, stairs, hiking, all of it.

BUT – we need cardio and being conditioned has awesome carry over into lifting more weights. So here we are, talking about cardio.

Imma share five reasons to do cardio. And I’ll likely dive a bit deeper into some of these than others, but I’m stoked for this one. So let’s get to it.

NUMBER 1: Improve energy systems

Low HRV – catabolic state (lead to over training rather than over reaching)

Want to be anabolic AFTER training, which is also why a cool down is important. You’ve ramped yourself up from training, and are in a catabolic state. A cool down can help bring it back to a more anabolic, parasympathetic state.

It’s not only WORKING at a certain heart rate but then working on getting it DOWN in the rest interval – often 50 beats below max during the working period. This has huge carryover into strength training and work capacity. Your ability to bring the heart rate rate down after a working set so that accumulation doesn’t completely toast you when you should be focused on taxing the muscles.

It just teaches you so much and it brought me back to loving cardio and conditioning after hating it for years. And that’s because I had purpose for it. There were goals within the heart rate training and it gave me a protocol to follow. Which for me, makes it more enjoyable and attainable. For instance I needed to keep heart rate at 170 +\- 5 beats per minute for three minutes. And then rest for two minutes or until my heart rate drops to 130. And that’s how you track progress – how quickly the heart rate recovers. When it starts to not recover, you know you’re reaching your current threshold.

ANYWAY – you can see why it’s amazing and effective.

I have been following Joel Jamieson for almost 10 years now. Before Instagram posts were education based, I used his blog, 8 Weeks Out almost exclusively for conditioning information.

And then of course I use his protocols in BBA for conditioning – and that’s from his book Ultimate MMA Conditioning. It’s a super easy but understandable read, and has progressive protocols for cardiac output, thresholds, high intensity continuous training, cardiac power intervals, and so on and so forth. It gives PURPOSE to your cardio and I swear once you know about energy systems development, you can’t go back and all other cardio feels pointless.

But, it’s not always pointless…which brings us to our next point.

NUMBER 2: Improve cardiovascular health

This is a follow up and likely a byproduct of number one. Ideally improving your energy systems improves your cardiovascular health.

And when I talk about cardiovascular health I am referring to your heart’s ability to function optimally and efficiently. Get blood where it needs to go with the least amount of work.

That’s really it. As you improve heart rate variability and recovery, your heart becomes an efficient, well oiled machine, which then puts less stress on your heart.

NUMBER 3: Increase caloric deficit

This one is where “pointless cardio” is fine. This is not a scenario I use with my clients, but it can certainly be effective.

There is SOME truth to cardio being aligned with losing weight. And in the simplest form, it can increase your caloric deficit. We then need to consider your strength training. And in that case I’d suggest doing cardio separate from strength training or after strength training if they have to happen back to back.

I have a full call on this in Annie’s Secret Lab of Brain Gains, exclusive to Built By Annie. But if strength training is the main goal and cardio is just being used as a tool to burn more calories instead of eating less food, then do the cardio after your lift.

And as far as the type of cardio, that depends too. But in this scenario it depends on what kind of caloric deficit you’re needing and choosing a cardio protocol that gets you that. You’d hopefully be consulting your coach about this.

NUMBER 4: You’re training for something

You’re training for a local CrossFit comp or triathlon or half marathon or some sort of conditioning based event.

That obviously makes sense.

I will say that if you’re training for something, your conditioning should be related to the demands of that event.

That is both in modality of training and type of energy systems.

Doing only high intensity intervals would not be effective for training for a marathon, just as only running on flat ground would not be appropriate if you’re doing a 12 mile trail run.

You’ll need to prepare your body in modality AND energy systems.

That’s about it for that one.

NUMBER 5: You enjoy cardio or an activity that involves cardio

For instance I have a few clients between 1:1 and BBA that either teach spin class, take kickboxing, or are on a rowing team.

The only thing I like to address here is that if you’re strength training and doing cardio, you need to prioritize recovery and fuel intake.

We want to make sure you’re not overtraining or really, under recovering. You want to get the benefits of both the enjoyable cardio of choice and the strength training. Not for one to take away from the other.

Alright! Those are my personal five reasons a human should do cardio.

I obviously use the first one with my clients, and it has many positive carryovers to heart heath, recovery, HRV and your strength training. Which for me, is why it’s #1.

If you want an additional caloric deficit and don’t want to make it happen via eating less, sure, do cardio.

Enjoy it? Then do cardio.

Training for an event? Just make sure your conditioning makes sense.

Das it!

Review of the week comes from Lizneia P and says,

“I have been following Annie on IG for about 6 months now. She is the real deal! Her business approach and her just authentic self got me hooked. I’m now part of Fitspro. I’m looking forward to hearing more of her well-thought out subjects and content and of course her realness.“

Remember you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to iTunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>CARDIO IS NEEDED. PERIOD. It’s no secret that I like lifting weights more than doing cardio. That includes any form of cardio - lifting weights faster, running, rowing, biking, stairs, hiking, all of it.

CARDIO IS NEEDED. PERIOD.

It’s no secret that I like lifting weights more than doing cardio.

That includes any form of cardio - lifting weights faster, running, rowing, biking, stairs, hiking, all of it.

BUT - we need cardio and being conditioned has awesome carry over into lifting more weights. So here we are, talking about cardio.

Imma share five reasons to do cardio. And I’ll likely dive a bit deeper into some of these than others, but I’m stoked for this one. So let’s get to it.

Low HRV - catabolic state (lead to over training rather than over reaching)

Want to be anabolic AFTER training, which is also why a cool down is important. You’ve ramped yourself up from training, and are in a catabolic state. A cool down can help bring it back to a more anabolic, parasympathetic state.

It’s not only WORKING at a certain heart rate but then working on getting it DOWN in the rest interval - often 50 beats below max during the working period. This has huge carryover into strength training and work capacity. Your ability to bring the heart rate rate down after a working set so that accumulation doesn’t completely toast you when you should be focused on taxing the muscles.

It just teaches you so much and it brought me back to loving cardio and conditioning after hating it for years. And that’s because I had purpose for it. There were goals within the heart rate training and it gave me a protocol to follow. Which for me, makes it more enjoyable and attainable. For instance I needed to keep heart rate at 170 +\- 5 beats per minute for three minutes. And then rest for two minutes or until my heart rate drops to 130. And that’s how you track progress - how quickly the heart rate recovers. When it starts to not recover, you know you’re reaching your current threshold.

ANYWAY - you can see why it’s amazing and effective.

I have been following Joel Jamieson for almost 10 years now. Before Instagram posts were education based, I used his blog, 8 Weeks Out almost exclusively for conditioning information.

And then of course I use his protocols in BBA for conditioning - and that’s from his book Ultimate MMA Conditioning. It’s a super easy but understandable read, and has progressive protocols for cardiac output, thresholds, high intensity continuous training, cardiac power intervals, and so on and so forth. It gives PURPOSE to your cardio and I swear once you know about energy systems development, you can’t go back and all other cardio feels pointless.

But, it’s not always pointless...which brings us to our next point.

NUMBER 2: Improve cardiovascular health

This is a follow up and likely a byproduct of number one. Ideally improving your energy systems improves your cardiovascular health.

And when I talk about cardiovascular health I am referring to your heart's ability to function optimally and efficiently. Get blood where it needs to go with the least amount of work.

That’s really it. As you improve heart rate variability and recovery, your heart becomes an efficient, well oiled machine, which then puts less stress on your heart.

NUMBER 3: Increase caloric deficit

This one is where “pointless cardio” is fine.]]>Annie Miller065 | How to Deal With Inconsistencyhttps://anniemiller.co/065-how-to-deal-with-inconsistency/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=065-how-to-deal-with-inconsistency
Tue, 31 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5600HOW TO DEAL WITH INCONSISTENCY.
My goal for this episode is not to stop inconsistency for good, or give you a three step process to be consistent with everything always, but to help form a new mindset around inconsistency and give you some important questions to ask in that process.
We can’t talk about inconsistency without first having SOMETHING we’re trying to be consistent with.
You have a goal, you tell yourself you’re going to do it and then you keep falling short. We’ve literally all been there. You want to swear less, be more present with your kids, get to the gym 5 days per week, add in your cardio, start doing mobility, get eight hours of sleep, work three hours per week on your biz, whatever. This can be in a relationship, in the gym, with a specific area of health or fitness, with your kids, or with your business. Anywhere you could possibly have a goal of being consistent, you can fall short.
That’s what we’re exploring today - how to deal with that lack of consistency when you see it happening, particularly over and over again.
Just as a preface - I’ll be speaking from working with my training clients and business clients; as well as my own personal experience with inconsistency.
First off, I can tell you right now that shaming yourself and sitting in the “I’m just a failure” puddle of guilt is not going to benefit you.
So that’s def NOT the ticket to dealing with inconsistency. Listen to me now - inconsistency is simply a data point from which we can dissect WHY that inconsistency is happening and then make the needed adjustments.
I want you to embrace that - not literally embracing inconsistency, but inconsistency as a simple piece of data. Not a weight attached to your lack of abilities or self worth.
That’s the mindset shift piece of this.
Then comes the question - why is the inconsistency happening?
We’re simply collecting data so we can do better fam.
When a 1:1 client of mine seems to be struggling with adherence to their program or goals, we ask WHY?
There are three possible answers here.
1.) The goal needs to change
2.) You’re legit just being lazy and we need to build a new habit/embrace the grind and build some momentum
3.) The environment around the goal needs to change
When I say environment I mean that the goal is legit, it is not the problem, but life and scenario around that goal is moldable and needs to change.
Maybe the client wants to get 3 lifts per week in and is only getting 1 or 2.
We’re going to walk through this example. Feel free to apply it to whatever area of life you’re experiencing inconsistency with.
Option 1 - the goal needs to change. We’d choose this if nothing in the client's life can change. She’s doing everything and legit cannot get all programmed days in. We need to either drop expected days, or embrace the body weight at home options.
Option 2 - Client is being lazy, building momentum in the wrong direction and simply needs to turn it around. They just need to get it done. We need a kickstart, the one week of consistency that will lead to her making choices she wants to be making. Sometimes it really is that simple: it’s not one big thing, it’s just getting the work done. The grind, if you will. Sometimes we just have to grind.
Option 3 - Client is choosing to go out 1 or 2 nights per week. This includes a few drinks and that all leads to less sleep in those nights, lower weekly average of sleep, lack of motivation and momentum the next day. Which then leads to shame and feeling bloated, and like a failure... sounds aggressive and slightly dramatic, but that’s the story for this example and it’s real for a lot of people.
In this case life outside of training can change. Perhaps social life is a bit of a sacrifice, but it can indeed change and getting three days of training in is more important than the aftermath of those nights. Not to mention she’s in her 30’s now,

HOW TO DEAL WITH INCONSISTENCY.

My goal for this episode is not to stop inconsistency for good, or give you a three step process to be consistent with everything always, but to help form a new mindset around inconsistency and give you some important questions to ask in that process.

We can’t talk about inconsistency without first having SOMETHING we’re trying to be consistent with.

You have a goal, you tell yourself you’re going to do it and then you keep falling short. We’ve literally all been there. You want to swear less, be more present with your kids, get to the gym 5 days per week, add in your cardio, start doing mobility, get eight hours of sleep, work three hours per week on your biz, whatever. This can be in a relationship, in the gym, with a specific area of health or fitness, with your kids, or with your business. Anywhere you could possibly have a goal of being consistent, you can fall short.

That’s what we’re exploring today – how to deal with that lack of consistency when you see it happening, particularly over and over again.

Just as a preface – I’ll be speaking from working with my training clients and business clients; as well as my own personal experience with inconsistency.

First off, I can tell you right now that shaming yourself and sitting in the “I’m just a failure” puddle of guilt is not going to benefit you.

So that’s def NOT the ticket to dealing with inconsistency. Listen to me now – inconsistency is simply a data point from which we can dissect WHY that inconsistency is happening and then make the needed adjustments.

I want you to embrace that – not literally embracing inconsistency, but inconsistency as a simple piece of data. Not a weight attached to your lack of abilities or self worth.

That’s the mindset shift piece of this.

Then comes the question – why is the inconsistency happening?

We’re simply collecting data so we can do better fam.

When a 1:1 client of mine seems to be struggling with adherence to their program or goals, we ask WHY?

There are three possible answers here.

1.) The goal needs to change

2.) You’re legit just being lazy and we need to build a new habit/embrace the grind and build some momentum

3.) The environment around the goal needs to change

When I say environment I mean that the goal is legit, it is not the problem, but life and scenario around that goal is moldable and needs to change.

Maybe the client wants to get 3 lifts per week in and is only getting 1 or 2.

We’re going to walk through this example. Feel free to apply it to whatever area of life you’re experiencing inconsistency with.

Option 1 – the goal needs to change. We’d choose this if nothing in the client’s life can change. She’s doing everything and legit cannot get all programmed days in. We need to either drop expected days, or embrace the body weight at home options.

Option 2 – Client is being lazy, building momentum in the wrong direction and simply needs to turn it around. They just need to get it done. We need a kickstart, the one week of consistency that will lead to her making choices she wants to be making. Sometimes it really is that simple: it’s not one big thing, it’s just getting the work done. The grind, if you will. Sometimes we just have to grind.

Option 3 – Client is choosing to go out 1 or 2 nights per week. This includes a few drinks and that all leads to less sleep in those nights, lower weekly average of sleep, lack of motivation and momentum the next day. Which then leads to shame and feeling bloated, and like a failure… sounds aggressive and slightly dramatic, but that’s the story for this example and it’s real for a lot of people.

In this case life outside of training can change. Perhaps social life is a bit of a sacrifice, but it can indeed change and getting three days of training in is more important than the aftermath of those nights. Not to mention she’s in her 30’s now, so it takes a HAWT minute to recover from these 1-2 nights.

She KNOWS 100% that she will feel so much better when she chooses to set boundaries in life and get to the gym, so we keep the goal, and change the life. We set boundaries in work and social life. We commit to a bedtime and night routine. Very simple habits that have massive effect.

That’s how we DEAL with inconsistency.

Our brains will choose autopilot and the path of least resistance. If we’re not helping them out in that process, they will repeat history. I think it’s something like 40% of our daily decisions are subconscious.

That’s why I am such a big fan of stopping and asking questions.

Where’s your brain at?

You’re experiencing inconsistency.

WHY?

Is it the goal?

Is it simple choice changes? Do you need to embrace the grind, knowing that will help build momentum in the right direction?

Is it specific controllable factors outside of the goal?

Inconsistency is a part of life. It’s going to happen. But we can make better choices and take action to improve consistency along the way.

My hope is that we’ve made the process of experiencing inconsistency, asking why and changing course, a digestible, executable one.

If you’re really finding that you’re inconsistent, and want to be consistent, then YOU HAVE OPTIONS.

You’re not inconsistent because you’re a piece of shit, or useless, or there’s something wrong with you, or because you’ll never ever succeed.

Your lack of consistency is simply a data point. It’s a fact. You’re not being consistent.

That’s the observation.

WHY?

Find the why, change the whatever factor needs to change that will have the largest effect towards consistency.

DAS IT FAM.

Short, simple questions to ask when you find yourself less that pleased with your level of consistency.

And with that, stay in the data observation state of mind and be prepared to practice trial and error. You’re always making progress. Learning what your road blocks are, and what your pivotal actions tend to be.

For instance, I know lack of sleep is a road block for me, and drinking water early in the morning is a pivotal action for me. It just leads to better overall choices throughout my day in every area.

Okay, I’m done!

I hope you’re more consistent after this episode! If you change nothing, you’ll def stay where you are. You 100% will not improve consistency by repeating what you’re doing now. I can promise you that.

Review of the week comes from jjynot22 and says,

“Annie Freaking Miller. I FINALLY dove into your podcast and have been listening to it the last 3 days during my commute to/from work. It is the best! It’s easy to understand, to the point and educational. I have a lot of experience and education but I’m ALWAYS learning something new and your podcast is no shortage of new things/new ideas. Thank you!“

Remember that until I am back in real time recording podcasts, you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to iTunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>HOW TO DEAL WITH INCONSISTENCY. My goal for this episode is not to stop inconsistency for good, or give you a three step process to be consistent with everything always, but to help form a new mindset around inconsistency and give you some important...

HOW TO DEAL WITH INCONSISTENCY.

My goal for this episode is not to stop inconsistency for good, or give you a three step process to be consistent with everything always, but to help form a new mindset around inconsistency and give you some important questions to ask in that process.

We can’t talk about inconsistency without first having SOMETHING we’re trying to be consistent with.

You have a goal, you tell yourself you’re going to do it and then you keep falling short. We’ve literally all been there. You want to swear less, be more present with your kids, get to the gym 5 days per week, add in your cardio, start doing mobility, get eight hours of sleep, work three hours per week on your biz, whatever. This can be in a relationship, in the gym, with a specific area of health or fitness, with your kids, or with your business. Anywhere you could possibly have a goal of being consistent, you can fall short.

That’s what we’re exploring today - how to deal with that lack of consistency when you see it happening, particularly over and over again.

Just as a preface - I’ll be speaking from working with my training clients and business clients; as well as my own personal experience with inconsistency.

First off, I can tell you right now that shaming yourself and sitting in the “I’m just a failure” puddle of guilt is not going to benefit you.

So that’s def NOT the ticket to dealing with inconsistency. Listen to me now - inconsistency is simply a data point from which we can dissect WHY that inconsistency is happening and then make the needed adjustments.

I want you to embrace that - not literally embracing inconsistency, but inconsistency as a simple piece of data. Not a weight attached to your lack of abilities or self worth.

That’s the mindset shift piece of this.

Then comes the question - why is the inconsistency happening?

We’re simply collecting data so we can do better fam.

When a 1:1 client of mine seems to be struggling with adherence to their program or goals, we ask WHY?

There are three possible answers here.

1.) The goal needs to change

2.) You’re legit just being lazy and we need to build a new habit/embrace the grind and build some momentum

3.) The environment around the goal needs to change

When I say environment I mean that the goal is legit, it is not the problem, but life and scenario around that goal is moldable and needs to change.

Maybe the client wants to get 3 lifts per week in and is only getting 1 or 2.

We’re going to walk through this example. Feel free to apply it to whatever area of life you’re experiencing inconsistency with.

Option 1 - the goal needs to change. We’d choose this if nothing in the client's life can change. She’s doing everything and legit cannot get all programmed days in. We need to either drop expected days, or embrace the body weight at home options.

Option 2 - Client is being lazy, building momentum in the wrong direction and simply needs to turn it around. They just need to get it done. We need a kickstart, the one week of consistency that will lead to her making choices she wants to be making. Sometimes it really is that simple: it’s not one big thing, it’s just getting the work done. The grind, if you will. Sometimes we just have to grind.

Option 3 - Client is choosing to go out 1 or 2 nights per week. This includes a few drinks and that all leads to less sleep in ...]]>Annie Miller17:26064 | Finding Your Place In Health & Fitnesshttps://anniemiller.co/064-finding-your-place-in-health-fitness/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=064-finding-your-place-in-health-fitness
Tue, 24 Mar 2020 05:00:00 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5386WHERE IS YOUR PLACE IN THIS FIELD?
I am coming at this from the perspective that some of you are trying to find your place as a coach and some of you are trainees. And I honestly think it’s beneficial for coaches to understand WHERE their clients are so they can meet them there.
It can be SO HARD and take a long freaking time to feel like you belong in the health and fitness space. Whether it be online or in person. To really have a place and feel comfortable there. Not comfortable in a bad or restricting way, but like - really happy to take up the space that you do in this field.
Likewise as a trainee, you want to feel like you belong, like you’re joyful and confident in your health and fitness experience. And believe it or not, I think the answers are the same for both the trainer and the trainee in this situation.
Hear me out.
I believe there are a lot of factors that play into this.
The two main factors are your philosophy and the people/environment you put yourself in.
That is how you find your place.
And it won’t happen overnight. I mean, the people and environment scenario might happen overnight, but the philosophy will not.
And yes, let’s make it clear that I strongly believe in clients having and developing their philosophy around training or nutrition or whatever area of health they’re practicing. Your beliefs and thoughts in this area need to align with your coach of choice...so it matters.
That’s my take anyway. And I’m a huge advocate for client efficacy so that makes sense. I don’t think clients should do whatever their trainer says all the time, I encourage questions and I want clients to be curious just like I want professionals to be curious. No one should ever stop asking questions in my opinion. Again, it’s an opinion and a belief. And also probs because I am personally a questioner on Gretchen Rubin's 4 Tendencies so this is a natural part of my personality which I’m sure is annoying to some.
So let’s dive into the philosophy portion of finding your place in the world of fitness.
Finding your philosophy
Your space will naturally be within the facility of humans who either have a similar philosophy to you and/or the same values as you do.
I found my space in the in person space very much so in college athletics and performance rehab.
In the online space, I’ve found it with people who are education based, whether they are physical therapists, dietitians, strength coaches, or chiropractors. And yes, all of those humans are in my space. We share the same space because we are for educating our clients, being transparent, and being professionals. Those are my people. And let me tell you it took a HAWT minute to find them.
Small story time - when I entered Instagram and online training back in 2015, I had no space. I’ve talked about this before. I didn’t feel like I belonged. I hadn’t been exposed to anything in the fitness world other than the boxes. When I say boxes, I mean the powerlifter box, or bikini competitor box, or cross fitter box, or fitspro box, or doctor box. I was not in any of those boxes. My philosophy was based off part of all of the boxes, and I felt like if I just went all in with one of these boxes, I’d have community and find my place in this field.
But you and I both know that’s false. Which is why I didn’t do that. I simply kept sharing what I knew to be my truth in the world of lifting weights and moving your body.
Slowly, VERY. SLOWLY…I found my humans - my no bull shit, knowledge and application based humans. Five years later, I proudly take up my space in this field and that is largely in part due to other professionals welcoming me in that process.
It’s what I hope I am now doing for others on Instagram - providing a place for young coaches to develop their philosophy, ask questions, and put into practice what they’re learning. Who knows if it’s happening, but that’s the goal for sure.
So,

WHERE IS YOUR PLACE IN THIS FIELD?

I am coming at this from the perspective that some of you are trying to find your place as a coach and some of you are trainees. And I honestly think it’s beneficial for coaches to understand WHERE their clients are so they can meet them there.

It can be SO HARD and take a long freaking time to feel like you belong in the health and fitness space. Whether it be online or in person. To really have a place and feel comfortable there. Not comfortable in a bad or restricting way, but like – really happy to take up the space that you do in this field.

Likewise as a trainee, you want to feel like you belong, like you’re joyful and confident in your health and fitness experience. And believe it or not, I think the answers are the same for both the trainer and the trainee in this situation.

Hear me out.

I believe there are a lot of factors that play into this.

The two main factors are your philosophy and the people/environment you put yourself in.

That is how you find your place.

And it won’t happen overnight. I mean, the people and environment scenario might happen overnight, but the philosophy will not.

And yes, let’s make it clear that I strongly believe in clients having and developing their philosophy around training or nutrition or whatever area of health they’re practicing. Your beliefs and thoughts in this area need to align with your coach of choice…so it matters.

That’s my take anyway. And I’m a huge advocate for client efficacy so that makes sense. I don’t think clients should do whatever their trainer says all the time, I encourage questions and I want clients to be curious just like I want professionals to be curious. No one should ever stop asking questions in my opinion. Again, it’s an opinion and a belief. And also probs because I am personally a questioner on Gretchen Rubin’s 4 Tendencies so this is a natural part of my personality which I’m sure is annoying to some.

So let’s dive into the philosophy portion of finding your place in the world of fitness.

Finding your philosophy

Your space will naturally be within the facility of humans who either have a similar philosophy to you and/or the same values as you do.

I found my space in the in person space very much so in college athletics and performance rehab.

In the online space, I’ve found it with people who are education based, whether they are physical therapists, dietitians, strength coaches, or chiropractors. And yes, all of those humans are in my space. We share the same space because we are for educating our clients, being transparent, and being professionals. Those are my people. And let me tell you it took a HAWT minute to find them.

Small story time – when I entered Instagram and online training back in 2015, I had no space. I’ve talked about this before. I didn’t feel like I belonged. I hadn’t been exposed to anything in the fitness world other than the boxes. When I say boxes, I mean the powerlifter box, or bikini competitor box, or cross fitter box, or fitspro box, or doctor box. I was not in any of those boxes. My philosophy was based off part of all of the boxes, and I felt like if I just went all in with one of these boxes, I’d have community and find my place in this field.

But you and I both know that’s false. Which is why I didn’t do that. I simply kept sharing what I knew to be my truth in the world of lifting weights and moving your body.

Slowly, VERY. SLOWLY…I found my humans – my no bull shit, knowledge and application based humans. Five years later, I proudly take up my space in this field and that is largely in part due to other professionals welcoming me in that process.

It’s what I hope I am now doing for others on Instagram – providing a place for young coaches to develop their philosophy, ask questions, and put into practice what they’re learning. Who knows if it’s happening, but that’s the goal for sure.

So, that’s all just to say that as you spend time deciding what are your foundational beliefs and practices in health and fitness, you’ll find your space. And you’ll be more confident filling that space.

With that, I have to make a note.

You HAVE to speak your mind. You HAVE to stand for something or you will blend in with the rest of the noise that is the over saturated world of health and fitness – whether in person or online.

What do you believe to be true? What are some of your foundational beliefs? Do you believe everyone should squat if they have the ability? That mobility is the basis of all movement? Believe that food freedom and macros cannot work together? I have no clue. I am just giving ideas here to make the point clear.

You’ve got to say, YUP – this is what I believe. This is what I practice with my clients, and this is WHY.

That can be scary. It’s easy to just repeat what you see other coaches and professionals saying. It’s a HUGE challenge to put YOUR THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS into the inter web. That’s not the safe route, right? But it’s the one I encourage you to take.

Because even after one or two times of stating a piece of your philosophy, you will gain confidence, and feel affirmed in that truth.

And, hi…your philosophy will change and CAN change! That is bound to happen. What you believe about fitness the day you get your certification is not what you’ll believe ten years down the road. Not in totality I mean.

Yes, you may believe on day 1 and year 10 that bodies were designed to move, but perhaps you thought cardio killed strength gains on day 1 but in year 10 you have a much deeper understanding of the complexity that goes into whether or not cardio will diminish or halt strength gains. I literally have a podcast episode on 5 things I used to believe in fitness AND 3 things I used to believe in business.

Beliefs change through questioning and experience. WE encourage that.

So, state your current truth – your current practices in health and fitness. Take up your current space and see what kind of response you get.

That’s how we develop your philosophy and that’s how you begin to find and take up space in this industry.

Finding your people

This one is going to be more trainer heavy. Just a heads up. But there will still be takeaways I am sure for the trainee as well.

In the process of developing your philosophy you will likely find your people. Which is the second or other piece of this.

Through experiences as a trainer or trainee, you’ll learn quickly who are and are not your people.

I touched on my in person and online experiences with finding my people but let’d dig a little deeper into those experiences.

First off, knowing your values is very important and worth speaking on I think.

Because to some extent, your philosophy – yes, your training and nutrition philosophy – will be in line with those values.

For instance, some of my core values that apply to life, business and fitness are education or knowledge, transparency, and quality or professionalism. Those span all areas of my life. And I look for these in the people I want to work for or work with.

As a client, you’ll want a coach who aligns with your values. I’d hope that is clear. As a trainer, you want to work under humans you respect.

I chose my college internship wisely, I was not looking for 20 hours of week where I could sit at a desk and scroll social media. I wanted to work under the BEST. Or the best that was in my area – within my reach. AND at the time, my plan was to become a collegiate strength coach so college athletics made sense.

That happened to be under Bradford Scott and Cat Wade at University of Portland.

THESE. WERE. MY. PEOPLE.

I realize a lot of people do not have the amazingly valuable experience I had in college strength and performance. But that is PRECISELY what we’re addressing now.

Getting experience working with and for different types of people in different settings will allow you to find your space and FILL THE SHIT OUT OF IT.

It is literally like you’re a puzzle piece and there are a few spots left, a few gaps in the puzzle. You are you, obviously. So you know what piece you are but you’re trying to see where you line up, where your shape fits. In this case, your shape is all that encompasses your philosophy, values and profession.

This makes so much sense in my head and I feel like I am doing a terrible job of articulating it but I hope for you sake that you’re tracking.

You can only find your space through experience. And that experience will involve other humans. ESPECIALLY if you’re in person.

I loved everything about U.P. and hated almost everything about my experience in another internship. I’ve mentioned this before.

I was still working at University of Portland at the time and I had to drive from there to my internship in this performance based physical therapy clinic. Sounds amazing. Could have been amazing with other people, but instead it was a part of my day that made me cringe. I would literally get angry driving there because of how much I disagreed with the entire culture of the facility. That sounds harsh. I actually love one of the owners and still do, but I wasn’t working with him. So there’s that.

So, I was naturally complaining to Brad one day in the office at UP. I am sure I was just listing all the things I hated or disagreed with, all the things I’d do differently. And he so calmly (and probably annoyingly) said, “Annie, you’re always learning. In this case, take note of what you’ll never stand for. How you’ll never run a facility or take a client through a workout.”

And now, I am passing that same advice on to you. That advice that made me want to smash my head through the glass windows of the office.

Whether in the online space or in person – take note of humans you align with, who you respect, and create relationships with THEM.

Also – like speaking your truth, this can be terrifying. But going up to Brad after he spoke in my class my sophomore year of college and saying “I want to be your intern – how do I do that?” And direct messaging Dr. Sean Pastuch from Active Life expressing my gratitude for their content and asking about my ankle issue were some of the most important moments in my career as a professional. I was scared, and both cases, very much so a newb – but both of those men helped me find, and affirm my place in this field.

I guess the take aways of today’s episode are for you to define your core values, start speaking to your current philosophy – what you stand firmly for NOW, and create relationships with those you align with, or aspire to be like, whether they are in your exact profession or not. Because the health and fitness field is VERY wide.

One thing I can say for sure is that you won’t find your place by staying where you are and doing nothing or playing small.

It simply won’t happen. Like freaking anything else I tell you to do – finding your place in this field will take ACTION, experience, and implementation. It won’t happen over night and it won’t be a walk in the park. Call me a realist.

But, it can 100% happen. And I am seriously stoked for you. Because having a place that you truly fit and belong is one of the best feelings ever. Both as a trainer and trainee.

Review of the week comes from Harprr and says,

“I love that these podcasts are short and to the point without lacking a ton of info! You can tell Annie knows her stuff and is an honest source for helpful information “

Remember that until I am back in real time recording podcasts, you need to check the show notes (here) to see if you were review-er of the week, and then keep an eye out to see if you were listener of the month as well. That will be in the show notes and Annie’s Weekly Wrap. You can subscribe to Annie’s Weekly Wrap here!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to iTunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>WHERE IS YOUR PLACE IN THIS FIELD? I am coming at this from the perspective that some of you are trying to find your place as a coach and some of you are trainees. And I honestly think it’s beneficial for coaches to understand WHERE their clients ar...

WHERE IS YOUR PLACE IN THIS FIELD?

I am coming at this from the perspective that some of you are trying to find your place as a coach and some of you are trainees. And I honestly think it’s beneficial for coaches to understand WHERE their clients are so they can meet them there.

It can be SO HARD and take a long freaking time to feel like you belong in the health and fitness space. Whether it be online or in person. To really have a place and feel comfortable there. Not comfortable in a bad or restricting way, but like - really happy to take up the space that you do in this field.

Likewise as a trainee, you want to feel like you belong, like you’re joyful and confident in your health and fitness experience. And believe it or not, I think the answers are the same for both the trainer and the trainee in this situation.

Hear me out.

I believe there are a lot of factors that play into this.

The two main factors are your philosophy and the people/environment you put yourself in.

That is how you find your place.

And it won’t happen overnight. I mean, the people and environment scenario might happen overnight, but the philosophy will not.

And yes, let’s make it clear that I strongly believe in clients having and developing their philosophy around training or nutrition or whatever area of health they’re practicing. Your beliefs and thoughts in this area need to align with your coach of choice...so it matters.

That’s my take anyway. And I’m a huge advocate for client efficacy so that makes sense. I don’t think clients should do whatever their trainer says all the time, I encourage questions and I want clients to be curious just like I want professionals to be curious. No one should ever stop asking questions in my opinion. Again, it’s an opinion and a belief. And also probs because I am personally a questioner on Gretchen Rubin's 4 Tendencies so this is a natural part of my personality which I’m sure is annoying to some.

So let’s dive into the philosophy portion of finding your place in the world of fitness.

Finding your philosophy

Your space will naturally be within the facility of humans who either have a similar philosophy to you and/or the same values as you do.

I found my space in the in person space very much so in college athletics and performance rehab.

In the online space, I’ve found it with people who are education based, whether they are physical therapists, dietitians, strength coaches, or chiropractors. And yes, all of those humans are in my space. We share the same space because we are for educating our clients, being transparent, and being professionals. Those are my people. And let me tell you it took a HAWT minute to find them.

Small story time - when I entered Instagram and online training back in 2015, I had no space. I’ve talked about this before. I didn’t feel like I belonged. I hadn’t been exposed to anything in the fitness world other than the boxes. When I say boxes, I mean the powerlifter box, or bikini competitor box, or cross fitter box, or fitspro box, or doctor box. I was not in any of those boxes. My philosophy was based off part of all of the boxes, and I felt like if I just went all in with one of these boxes, I’d have community and find my place in this field.

But you and I both know that’s false. Which is why I didn’t do that. I simply kept sharing what I knew to be my truth in the world of lifting weights and moving your body.

Slowly, VERY.]]>Annie Miller22:16063 | Quarter 1 Review + Quarter 2 Planninghttps://anniemiller.co/063-quarter-1-review-quarter-2-planning/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=063-quarter-1-review-quarter-2-planning
Sun, 22 Mar 2020 10:00:00 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5618QUARTER REVIEW + GOAL PLANNING.
This is early - and I clearly haven’t recapped my entire first quarter. But I have gathered all data thus far and started planning quarter 2. I really hate waiting to plan a quarter until I’m in it. If you’re new here or I haven’t mentioned it, I prefer to be a month or two ahead of schedule with as much as I can. That way I’m only doing real time work with things that have to be done real time.
For instance during a launch, all the emails and posts and Canva images are done. The emails are pre-scheduled and all I’m doing is showing up in real time on social media and viewing my numbers.
Therefore we’re here, discussing quarter one and two while still in quarter one.
If you don’t use quarterly planning and you’re an entrepreneur, I highly suggest it. This is something I wish I would have started way earlier in business. You don’t need a complex business to benefit from quarterly planning.
I use Amber McCue's Fresh Start planner for my more tactical biz planning. And then Hilary Rushford's Elegant Excellence journal for the life/emotional/dreaming aspect of business. I think emotional health and awareness + aligning your life and biz are very important.
So that’s where I do my actual quarterly, and monthly planning.
As for quarter one of 2020 - we must discuss my annual goals because that’s where the quarterly goals and markers come from.
In quarter one so far, I’m am on track for my annual revenue goal which is lovely.
This is the joy in tracking numbers and doing quarterly goals. Because if I wasn’t on track for that goal, or any goal, I’d need to either change the goal, or determine how I’m going to reach the goal in the coming quarters.
So we’re on track for the annual revenue goal. If you don’t have revenue goals, I also encourage you to make that. And then look at how that might happen - how much does your offer cost? How many would you need to sell? How many launches or pushes does that mean? And so on. It’s a good practice to get into even if you’re just starting out.
In quarter one I also had a FitsPRO Foundations launch and a Built by Annie push, as well as down-sells from each of those.
That simply means that I had an enrollment period for those main programs and then a promo of some kind for another supporting offer right after those bigger enrollment periods.
Both of those launches went great and I want to dive into the context of those. Because it’s important to look at going forward. I have launches coming in quarter two and the numbers and data from quarter one are useful to me in planning those Q2 launches.
I straight up nailed the FitsPRO launch and down-sell to Instagram 101. It was my fourth or fifth launch of FitsPRO. Therefore I have data from 4-5 launches. I felt that I’d found the timing of what information to deliver when. But it was also the first week of the new year and that means people are ready to start something new. They’re inspired to take action and sign up for things. Therefore I take that context into consideration. That’s part of the process in business. You learn your seasons. When are people most willing and ready to buy? To invest? And to start a program?
In tracking my numbers from that launch I was able to plan the next launch which will be this month. Emails have already started going out to the waitlist. I realize it’s still quarter one but this launch will cross over into quarter two.
I tried a new promo last round for a downsell to IG101 and that went VERY WELL, even better than expected. It was the first time doing that. So I do plan to do something similar for future launches. Just like last round, I’ll track numbers and see how it goes.
As far as Built by Annie goes - I reached my goal of getting a certain amount ladies in the doors. But I did something VERY different this round.
So back in November I did a birthday month promo for four weeks. We call this a push vs a launch.QUARTER REVIEW + GOAL PLANNING. This is early - and I clearly haven’t recapped my entire first quarter. But I have gathered all data thus far and started planning quarter 2. I really hate waiting to plan a quarter until I’m in it.

QUARTER REVIEW + GOAL PLANNING.

This is early - and I clearly haven’t recapped my entire first quarter. But I have gathered all data thus far and started planning quarter 2. I really hate waiting to plan a quarter until I’m in it. If you’re new here or I haven’t mentioned it, I prefer to be a month or two ahead of schedule with as much as I can. That way I’m only doing real time work with things that have to be done real time.

For instance during a launch, all the emails and posts and Canva images are done. The emails are pre-scheduled and all I’m doing is showing up in real time on social media and viewing my numbers.

Therefore we’re here, discussing quarter one and two while still in quarter one.

If you don’t use quarterly planning and you’re an entrepreneur, I highly suggest it. This is something I wish I would have started way earlier in business. You don’t need a complex business to benefit from quarterly planning.

I use Amber McCue's Fresh Start planner for my more tactical biz planning. And then Hilary Rushford's Elegant Excellence journal for the life/emotional/dreaming aspect of business. I think emotional health and awareness + aligning your life and biz are very important.

So that’s where I do my actual quarterly, and monthly planning.

As for quarter one of 2020 - we must discuss my annual goals because that’s where the quarterly goals and markers come from.

In quarter one so far, I’m am on track for my annual revenue goal which is lovely.

This is the joy in tracking numbers and doing quarterly goals. Because if I wasn’t on track for that goal, or any goal, I’d need to either change the goal, or determine how I’m going to reach the goal in the coming quarters.

So we’re on track for the annual revenue goal. If you don’t have revenue goals, I also encourage you to make that. And then look at how that might happen - how much does your offer cost? How many would you need to sell? How many launches or pushes does that mean? And so on. It’s a good practice to get into even if you’re just starting out.

That simply means that I had an enrollment period for those main programs and then a promo of some kind for another supporting offer right after those bigger enrollment periods.

Both of those launches went great and I want to dive into the context of those. Because it’s important to look at going forward. I have launches coming in quarter two and the numbers and data from quarter one are useful to me in planning those Q2 launches.

I straight up nailed the FitsPRO launch and down-sell to Instagram 101. It was my fourth or fifth launch of FitsPRO. Therefore I have data from 4-5 launches. I felt that I’d found the timing of what information to deliver when. But it was also the first week of the new year and that means people are ready to start something new. They’re inspired to take action and sign up for things. Therefore I take that context into consideration. That’s part of the process in business. You learn your seasons. When are people most willing and ready to buy? To invest? And to start a program?

In tracking my numbers from that launch I was able to plan the next launch which will be this month. Emails have already started going out to the waitlist. I realize it’s still quarter one but this launch will cross over into quarter two.

]]>Annie Miller21:03062 | Is Blogging Dead?https://anniemiller.co/062-is-blogging-dead/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=062-is-blogging-dead
Tue, 10 Mar 2020 05:00:49 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5384TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG?
I purposely have this following the episode where I say if you’re in the online space you need to be better at writing. Because in some aspects, yes, I think blogging is dead, or is slowly dying. Perhaps it’s just a phase.
It’s not dead in A LOT of places, which is where I have decided to spend my time and shift my focus over the the last year or so.
I will say, I am not a wildly successful blogger. I enjoy writing and providing content for my audience, that’s why I do it. A goal of mine is to monetize my blog, as a lifestyle blog including personal content, travel, fitness, entrepreneurship and my fav brands/products.
With all of that background/disclaimer out of the way, let’s discuss if blogging is dead, and whether or not you should have one.
First off, if blogging is what you want your full time gig to be, you need to take Julie Solomon’s Pitch It Perfect course. I took it, it’s great. Also made clear to me that blogging is indeed a full time job, and it’s not my #1 passion even though I enjoy doing it.
So just keeping it real, if you want to be blogger, where your income is strictly from brand deals and sponsorships, then Julie Solomon is your guru. And welcome to a full time job.
As far as the Google algorithm and statistics go, yes, blogging is dying. I have several friends whose blog traffic has plummeted in the last year or so. We’re talking like 500% less daily traffic to their blog.
Now, that matters if you depend on SEO or search engine optimization for new leads to come to your blog. Which likely matters if you are indeed a full time blogger.
With that, I don’t have world wide or US stats on blog traffic across the board. I just know that something similar to the decrease in Instagram exposure seems to be happening to humans in the blogging world as well.
True for some, not true for others I’m sure.
That brings me to my thoughts on blogging and whether you should do it or not.
Just because Instagram views are down does not mean you stop posting all together or that your main squeeze humans are not interacting with your posts.
I believe the same is true for blogging.
I view blogging as a deeper dive into the topics I cover on IG, and with a wider span.
It’s also where my podcasts are hosted via show notes, so keep that in mind.
Via the blog and podcast, I can dive much deeper into program design, coaching, business, travel, personal experiences and my favorite brands and resources. And I can do it in a manner that is not annoying to those who don’t want to hear or read about those things.
A blog gives you a space to narrow your funnel from places like Instagram. It gets them off the social media platform and onto YOUR PLATFORM...onto your site. From there, hopefully they join a mailing list of some kind. This is like hitting the follow button on Instagram, or the subscribe button on YouTube or your podcast app.
Do you have to have a blog to build an email list or loyal audience? No. 100% No.
But it’s a great place to serve your audience on a deeper level and expand your reach at the same time. If Instagram is your first step in the funnel, your blog would be the next.
So no, I don’t think blogging is DEAD. I think that’s a bit dramatic. But I think we have to shift with the times.
Again, I don’t have stats, but I imagine less people are cooking from home and more humans who may have cooked from home in the past are using things like Hello Fresh or other meal delivery services. So if you’re a food blogger, that may effect you.
For fitness, I used to LIVE on blogs like T Nation, Livestrong and 8 Weeks Out when I first started my career. But now I’ll be honest, I get most my knowledge and daily reading from Instagram. With swipe posts, doctors and small blogs in the captions, I can get most of what I’m looking for on a platform that I’m already on. And outside of that, I tend to just read research articles.TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG? I purposely have this following the episode where I say if you’re in the online space you need to be better at writing. Because in some aspects, yes, I think blogging is dead, or is slowly dying.

TO BLOG OR NOT TO BLOG?

I purposely have this following the episode where I say if you’re in the online space you need to be better at writing. Because in some aspects, yes, I think blogging is dead, or is slowly dying. Perhaps it’s just a phase.

It’s not dead in A LOT of places, which is where I have decided to spend my time and shift my focus over the the last year or so.

I will say, I am not a wildly successful blogger. I enjoy writing and providing content for my audience, that’s why I do it. A goal of mine is to monetize my blog, as a lifestyle blog including personal content, travel, fitness, entrepreneurship and my fav brands/products.

With all of that background/disclaimer out of the way, let’s discuss if blogging is dead, and whether or not you should have one.

First off, if blogging is what you want your full time gig to be, you need to take Julie Solomon’s Pitch It Perfect course. I took it, it’s great. Also made clear to me that blogging is indeed a full time job, and it’s not my #1 passion even though I enjoy doing it.

So just keeping it real, if you want to be blogger, where your income is strictly from brand deals and sponsorships, then Julie Solomon is your guru. And welcome to a full time job.

As far as the Google algorithm and statistics go, yes, blogging is dying. I have several friends whose blog traffic has plummeted in the last year or so. We’re talking like 500% less daily traffic to their blog.

Now, that matters if you depend on SEO or search engine optimization for new leads to come to your blog. Which likely matters if you are indeed a full time blogger.

With that, I don’t have world wide or US stats on blog traffic across the board. I just know that something similar to the decrease in Instagram exposure seems to be happening to humans in the blogging world as well.

True for some, not true for others I’m sure.

That brings me to my thoughts on blogging and whether you should do it or not.

Just because Instagram views are down does not mean you stop posting all together or that your main squeeze humans are not interacting with your posts.

I believe the same is true for blogging.

I view blogging as a deeper dive into the topics I cover on IG, and with a wider span.

It’s also where my podcasts are hosted via show notes, so keep that in mind.

Via the blog and podcast, I can dive much deeper into program design, coaching, business, travel, personal experiences and my favorite brands and resources. And I can do it in a manner that is not annoying to those who don’t want to hear or read about those things.

A blog gives you a space to narrow your funnel from places like Instagram. It gets them off the social media platform and onto YOUR PLATFORM...onto your site. From there, hopefully they join a mailing list of some kind. This is like hitting the follow button on Instagram, or the subscribe button on YouTube or your podcast app.

Do you have to have a blog to build an email list or loyal audience? No. 100% No.

But it’s a great place to serve your audience on a deeper level and expand your reach at the same time. If Instagram is your first step in the funnel, your blog would be the next.

So no, I don’t think blogging is DEAD. I think that’s a bit dramatic. But I think we have to shift with the times.

Again, I don’t have stats, but I imagine less people are cooking from home a...]]>Annie Miller061 | #1 Thing Online Entrepreneurs Should Work Onhttps://anniemiller.co/061-1-thing-online-entrepreneurs-should-work-on/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=061-1-thing-online-entrepreneurs-should-work-on
Tue, 03 Mar 2020 05:00:22 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5382THE ONE THING I SUGGEST YOU WORK ON AS AN ONLINE BIZ OWNER.
This episode is really two things I think online entrepreneurs should always be working on, but even if you know one...it doesn’t do you any good if you can’t do the other.
We communicate in the online world, MOSTLY via writing.
Now there is a caveat here. And that is if you solely use video or some other medium to communicate in the online space. Say you have a YouTube Channel or you only make videos for Instagram and then your product or service doesn’t have a sales page with writing, rather people have to apply to get on a call with you and that’s where you make the sale.
IF THAT IS YOU, then this mostly doesn’t apply to you.
But if you’re like most other sole preneuers in the online world, and write captions for Instagram or emails or blog posts and have a sales page on your site or landing page where someone will decide to enroll in your program or not... well then, I’m talking to you.
You need to, and will likely forever need to get good at writing.
This does not mean you need to be an author, or have perfect grammar. What I really mean when I say “get good at writing” is spend time improving your ability to communicate through the written word.
It makes sense doesn’t it?
If how most of your humans hear about you, your offer, and what you do is through reading...it makes sense that you’d want to get better and better at writing to your audience, yes?
So, when I say that writing is the #1 thing I think entrepreneurs should work on, it’s really a two part deal.
If you get better at communicating through the written word, that’s great...but you also need to be clear on what it is that you’re communicating and who you’re speaking to.
That’s where part 1, or 2 if you want to call it that, comes in. You forever need to know your ideal client and be working on how to communicate to her or him effectively. In a way that makes them feel as though you already know them, yet you’ve never met.
So I suppose part 1 is knowing your ideal client, and part 2 is the writing piece. How good are you at communicating with your ideal client? We are forever improving on both of these through our entrepreneurial journey.
That’s in part because you should be writing to him or her in most of your free content on social media, on your sales page, and day to day if you actually have clients already.
You’re always learning, getting feedback and diving deeper into who it is you’re here to serve in this world.
And if you’re on Instagram or want to have an expert presence on Instagram...congratulations, you’re now a writer.
Any area you provide free content to your audience is an opportunity for you to practice your writing. How you communicate to your dream client. To your human of choice.
It’s a chance to use new verbiage, new examples, see what sticks and how people react.
You might not think you’re writer and you might resist it still, as you listen to this. But it would behoove you to embrace the idea that you ARE in fact a writer. That you have the space and ability to improve. And that if you do improve, you will see growth in your audience, interaction and inquiries to work with you.
It is no secret that in the comment section of my posts and in my DMs you can find comments like “woah I’ve never felt so seen in my entire life. It’s like I almost have chills because this is so accurate.” And “never felt so understood and seen by anyone I’ve ever met” and “wait, has Annie been secretly stalking me?”
No I didn’t make those up. Those are direct quotes from my Instagram comments. You can read the post in the show notes and see for yourself.
Those comments and DMs roll in for two reasons - I’ve spent an aggressive and dedicated two years learning about my ideal client and working on my ability to communicate through writing.
Now, how do you get better at writing?
I get it. I am aware that I actually enjoy writing,THE ONE THING I SUGGEST YOU WORK ON AS AN ONLINE BIZ OWNER. This episode is really two things I think online entrepreneurs should always be working on, but even if you know one...it doesn’t do you any good if you can’t do the other.

THE ONE THING I SUGGEST YOU WORK ON AS AN ONLINE BIZ OWNER.

This episode is really two things I think online entrepreneurs should always be working on, but even if you know one...it doesn’t do you any good if you can’t do the other.

We communicate in the online world, MOSTLY via writing.

Now there is a caveat here. And that is if you solely use video or some other medium to communicate in the online space. Say you have a YouTube Channel or you only make videos for Instagram and then your product or service doesn’t have a sales page with writing, rather people have to apply to get on a call with you and that’s where you make the sale.

IF THAT IS YOU, then this mostly doesn’t apply to you.

But if you’re like most other sole preneuers in the online world, and write captions for Instagram or emails or blog posts and have a sales page on your site or landing page where someone will decide to enroll in your program or not... well then, I’m talking to you.

You need to, and will likely forever need to get good at writing.

This does not mean you need to be an author, or have perfect grammar. What I really mean when I say “get good at writing” is spend time improving your ability to communicate through the written word.

It makes sense doesn’t it?

If how most of your humans hear about you, your offer, and what you do is through reading...it makes sense that you’d want to get better and better at writing to your audience, yes?

So, when I say that writing is the #1 thing I think entrepreneurs should work on, it’s really a two part deal.

If you get better at communicating through the written word, that’s great...but you also need to be clear on what it is that you’re communicating and who you’re speaking to.

That’s where part 1, or 2 if you want to call it that, comes in. You forever need to know your ideal client and be working on how to communicate to her or him effectively. In a way that makes them feel as though you already know them, yet you’ve never met.

So I suppose part 1 is knowing your ideal client, and part 2 is the writing piece. How good are you at communicating with your ideal client? We are forever improving on both of these through our entrepreneurial journey.

That’s in part because you should be writing to him or her in most of your free content on social media, on your sales page, and day to day if you actually have clients already.

You’re always learning, getting feedback and diving deeper into who it is you’re here to serve in this world.

And if you’re on Instagram or want to have an expert presence on Instagram...congratulations, you’re now a writer.

Any area you provide free content to your audience is an opportunity for you to practice your writing. How you communicate to your dream client. To your human of choice.

It’s a chance to use new verbiage, new examples, see what sticks and how people react.

You might not think you’re writer and you might resist it still, as you listen to this. But it would behoove you to embrace the idea that you ARE in fact a writer. That you have the space and ability to improve. And that if you do improve, you will see growth in your audience, interaction and inquiries to work with you.

It is no secret that in the comment section of my posts and in my DMs you can find comments like “woah I’ve never felt so seen in my entire life.]]>Annie Millerclean060 | Exercise Selection For Successhttps://anniemiller.co/060-exercise-selection-for-success/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=060-exercise-selection-for-success
Tue, 25 Feb 2020 05:00:06 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5380HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST EXERCISES.
There are infinite exercises in the world. And if an exercise is any form of movement, then the choices are, quite LITERALLY, infinite.
The issue with this is that it can be overwhelming when you need to choose only 5-6 exercises for a lift and there are HUNDREDS to choose from. I get it.
The other issue I see with this is that coaches, trainers and trainees often just choose 6-8 exercises from under the sun and run their clients or themselves into the ground thinking that they are being effective, when that is likely the furthest thing from the truth.
It’s more likely that if they continue down this “any asshole can write a hard workout” path of programming, imbalance and injury will set it. Also, constant confusion is not how you get results. So there’s that.
We’re here now to discuss how to select exercises that are NOT from the “any asshole can write a hard workout” playbook.
The goal of today’s episode is to help you, whether a coach or trainee, to experience more ease, logic and confidence when choosing what exercises to do and when.
As you know, I believe knowledge is power, and EMPOWERING. I think when we feel informed and educated on a topic, we gain confidence and take more action in that area of life. This case - in the gym or in your programming.
Today should also help you understand why your coach might have chosen a certain exercise for you. Maybe you hate it, but since you can at least grasp the purpose of the exercise, you’re more willing to do it.
Now, let’s define what I mean when I say exercise selection:
It is the decision to choose a given exercise and the REASON for choosing it.
The reason you might choose an exercise typically revolves around strengthening an area, improving mobility in an area, gaining power through certain muscle groups, the functional aspect of the exercise, or to build muscle in a given muscle or muscle group.
Which means we first need to determine the goal at hand. Then we choose the most appropriate exercise.
If you want to increase power output, doing no dynamic work is not going to be very effective, right?
You can also choose one exercise for very different reasons.
Maybe one person squats to strictly gain strength while another does it for a physique goal - to have a balanced lower half.
We must consider the goal.
The goal for the majority of my programming combines these, and then leans more heavily towards some than others depending on the client:
Improve mobilityIncrease strengthIncrease work capacity
And we’re always improving movement patterns.
But the REAL goal within all of those remains:
To create balanced work for the joints (push, pull, vertical/horizontal push pull, squatting vs. hinging etc etc)
This is also why I encourage coaches to use an assessment of some kind. If you don’t know where your client is starting from, at least for 1:1, how can you program in a manner that will yield results?
My two week assessment lets me know all mobility restrictions + if my client is squat dominant, right or left leg dominant, right or left arm dominant, push or pull dominant, if they have a grip strength discrepancy, if they are strength vs. capacity dominant and so on.
THAT is what I base my 1:1 programming off of. If you have no clue what I am talking about, take the Active Life Immersion Course for coaches.
If you’re strictly going off of training goals, or aesthetics, this can be a much simpler process.
Goal - increase muscle mass in shoulders and glutes.
Or widen my back, and grow my quads.
Those programs wouldn’t be in line with my programming style of balancing the body joint by joint. The exercise selection in the body part specific program is going to favor say deadlifts, hip thrusts, and more hip dominant work, where as the quad growth goal program will favor squats, split squats and knee dominant exercises.HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST EXERCISES. There are infinite exercises in the world. And if an exercise is any form of movement, then the choices are, quite LITERALLY, infinite. The issue with this is that it can be overwhelming when you need to choose o...

HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST EXERCISES.

There are infinite exercises in the world. And if an exercise is any form of movement, then the choices are, quite LITERALLY, infinite.

The issue with this is that it can be overwhelming when you need to choose only 5-6 exercises for a lift and there are HUNDREDS to choose from. I get it.

The other issue I see with this is that coaches, trainers and trainees often just choose 6-8 exercises from under the sun and run their clients or themselves into the ground thinking that they are being effective, when that is likely the furthest thing from the truth.

It’s more likely that if they continue down this “any asshole can write a hard workout” path of programming, imbalance and injury will set it. Also, constant confusion is not how you get results. So there’s that.

We’re here now to discuss how to select exercises that are NOT from the “any asshole can write a hard workout” playbook.

The goal of today’s episode is to help you, whether a coach or trainee, to experience more ease, logic and confidence when choosing what exercises to do and when.

As you know, I believe knowledge is power, and EMPOWERING. I think when we feel informed and educated on a topic, we gain confidence and take more action in that area of life. This case - in the gym or in your programming.

Today should also help you understand why your coach might have chosen a certain exercise for you. Maybe you hate it, but since you can at least grasp the purpose of the exercise, you’re more willing to do it.

Now, let’s define what I mean when I say exercise selection:

It is the decision to choose a given exercise and the REASON for choosing it.

The reason you might choose an exercise typically revolves around strengthening an area, improving mobility in an area, gaining power through certain muscle groups, the functional aspect of the exercise, or to build muscle in a given muscle or muscle group.

Which means we first need to determine the goal at hand. Then we choose the most appropriate exercise.

If you want to increase power output, doing no dynamic work is not going to be very effective, right?

You can also choose one exercise for very different reasons.

Maybe one person squats to strictly gain strength while another does it for a physique goal - to have a balanced lower half.

We must consider the goal.

The goal for the majority of my programming combines these, and then leans more heavily towards some than others depending on the client:

This is also why I encourage coaches to use an assessment of some kind. If you don’t know where your client is starting from, at least for 1:1, how can you program in a manner that will yield results?

My two week assessment lets me know all mobility restrictions + if my client is squat dominant, right or left leg dominant, right or left arm dominant, push or pull dominant, if they have a grip strength discrepancy, if they are strength vs. capacity dominant and so on.

THAT is what I base my 1:1 programming off of. If you have no clue what I am talking about,]]>Annie Millerclean059 | Health & Traveling – Redefining “Health”https://anniemiller.co/059-health-traveling-redefining-health/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=059-health-traveling-redefining-health
Tue, 18 Feb 2020 05:00:13 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5378ARE YOU REALLY HEALTHY?
Today will challenge your view of health and it might just ruffle a few feathers but what’s new? I am not here to make you feel good. Or for us to agree on everything. I am here to challenge you and raise the standard.
So here we are.
This topic came to me in 2018 when we started traveling and continued to intensify as we made our way around the globe.
Here’s the pressing question…
Are you “healthy” if you can’t travel without 16 powders, teas, remedies and pills? Would you survive without your kombucha and collagen?
I ask that on the premise that my view and definition of health has changed from perfection and stability to ADAPTABILITY.
Now, this was in fact me before we left for round one of travels. I took the same all natural pre-workout from silver fern, drank my collagen in my coffee every morning, took all my vitamins and the same protein after every workout. And finished up my day with some calm magnesium and home-frozen siggi’s yogurt. All the products may or may not still be linked on my amazon page.
But, traveling put things into perspective for me and that’s what I am sharing with you in today’s episode.
Not to take you away from all your supplements. But to perhaps help you see how amazing and resilient your body is...even WITHOUT all of the things.
And maybe to challenge your current definition or view of health.
I also don’t think there is ONE definition of health.
My picture of health before traveling the world was much more structured than it is now.
It was more extreme - eating almost the same thing daily for at least two of my meals, getting eight hours of sleep, lifting heavy weights, taking all my supplements, focusing on nutrient timing and so on.
I wouldn’t say I had a social life, or walked at all outside of my exercise.
Now, clearly what I just stated CAN be healthy. But it can also be extreme, and rarely are extremes healthy.
The goal was near perfection.
Now, the goal is much looser.
Like I stated, my version of health is now adaptability.
Are you so married to one type of exercise that you’re unwilling to move your body in another way just for the sake of taking care of yourself?
Because that’s not healthy.
Does your gut freak out if you’re not on a perfect diet?
While I realize that can be SO REAL, that is not healthy. Many in the health space in the states are working to restore their gut. My question is, once restored, can your gut adapt to and tolerate different cuisines and variance in your diet?
I just found myself thinking SO OFTEN during our travels “so many people wouldn’t, or couldn’t do this because of their “healthy” lifestyle.”
I don’t mean to offend. And I really don’t feel like I’m articulating this well. But I’m hoping it lands somewhere on the board and you get what I’m trying to say.
I guess I see health now as more well rounded, and more grey. We walk so much more than we used to and I hated that when we got home we stopped walking.
I enjoy the diversity of foods we eat. Those experiences enhance my life. I am not restricted by foods - Nate definitely becomes more sensitive to dairy when his stress is higher. It’s realizing things like that. Is it the food? Or the stress? The lack of sleep? You know?
Many parameters are the same for us.
I got so many DMs when we travel - how do you stay in shape? How do you find healthy foods to eat? How do you deal with a lack of lifting weights?
And those questions are welcome.
I am sad if that’s the top things you consider when TRAVELING THE WORLD.
But to answer them - we walk a lot, we go on runs, Nate ran the stairs in our apartment the other day, we do body weight workouts and have bands, and we get gym memberships when we can. Ideal? No. Extreme? No. Healthy? 100%.
Extreme was my struggle in the beginning of travels 2018 - if I didn’t have weights, I wasn’t working out. And I HATED THAT.ARE YOU REALLY HEALTHY? Today will challenge your view of health and it might just ruffle a few feathers but what’s new? I am not here to make you feel good. Or for us to agree on everything. I am here to challenge you and raise the standard.

ARE YOU REALLY HEALTHY?

Today will challenge your view of health and it might just ruffle a few feathers but what’s new? I am not here to make you feel good. Or for us to agree on everything. I am here to challenge you and raise the standard.

So here we are.

This topic came to me in 2018 when we started traveling and continued to intensify as we made our way around the globe.

Here’s the pressing question…

Are you “healthy” if you can’t travel without 16 powders, teas, remedies and pills? Would you survive without your kombucha and collagen?

I ask that on the premise that my view and definition of health has changed from perfection and stability to ADAPTABILITY.

Now, this was in fact me before we left for round one of travels. I took the same all natural pre-workout from silver fern, drank my collagen in my coffee every morning, took all my vitamins and the same protein after every workout. And finished up my day with some calm magnesium and home-frozen siggi’s yogurt. All the products may or may not still be linked on my amazon page.

But, traveling put things into perspective for me and that’s what I am sharing with you in today’s episode.

Not to take you away from all your supplements. But to perhaps help you see how amazing and resilient your body is...even WITHOUT all of the things.

And maybe to challenge your current definition or view of health.

I also don’t think there is ONE definition of health.

My picture of health before traveling the world was much more structured than it is now.

It was more extreme - eating almost the same thing daily for at least two of my meals, getting eight hours of sleep, lifting heavy weights, taking all my supplements, focusing on nutrient timing and so on.

I wouldn’t say I had a social life, or walked at all outside of my exercise.

Now, clearly what I just stated CAN be healthy. But it can also be extreme, and rarely are extremes healthy.

The goal was near perfection.

Now, the goal is much looser.

Like I stated, my version of health is now adaptability.

Are you so married to one type of exercise that you’re unwilling to move your body in another way just for the sake of taking care of yourself?

Because that’s not healthy.

Does your gut freak out if you’re not on a perfect diet?

While I realize that can be SO REAL, that is not healthy. Many in the health space in the states are working to restore their gut. My question is, once restored, can your gut adapt to and tolerate different cuisines and variance in your diet?

I just found myself thinking SO OFTEN during our travels “so many people wouldn’t, or couldn’t do this because of their “healthy” lifestyle.”

I don’t mean to offend. And I really don’t feel like I’m articulating this well. But I’m hoping it lands somewhere on the board and you get what I’m trying to say.

I guess I see health now as more well rounded, and more grey. We walk so much more than we used to and I hated that when we got home we stopped walking.

I enjoy the diversity of foods we eat. Those experiences enhance my life. I am not restricted by foods - Nate definitely becomes more sensitive to dairy when his stress is higher. It’s realizing things like that. Is it the food? Or the stress?]]>Annie Millerclean058 | 3 Ways to Get Out of a Slumphttps://anniemiller.co/058-3-ways-to-get-out-of-a-slump/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=058-3-ways-to-get-out-of-a-slump
Tue, 11 Feb 2020 05:00:00 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5376IF YOU'RE HUMAN, YOU'VE EXPERIENCED A SLUMP.
I have wanted to speak on this topic for a long time. And I think that’s partially because sometimes I feel like people think I don’t experience slumps, or low motivation. Which is hilarious because motivation is NOT how people become successful in any area of life. Discipline and a strong why is how I believe people build success - in the gym, in life, in business, in relationships.
With that, I think we’ve all experienced a slump in life or biz or fitness. You just have no motivation or motivation for the wrong things.
Like you’re motivated to work on creative things but they’re really just busy work and have nothing to do with your essential task. Example - wakes up wanting to create new content for a project that isn’t on the table until 2021…but should really track numbers from your last launch…yes, this was me last month.
Or you go to the gym and just walk on the treadmill instead of getting your lift in (we’ll talk about this).
Or you’re just beside yourself. Not in an angry or upset way. But you’re observing your current state and not digging it? Have you ever been there? You’re not where you think you should be, you’re unsatisfied but not sure why? Something is just OFF.
Today I plan to give you three tools to pull yourself out of the slump and into the RIGHT ACTION - to get you feeling accomplished and proud of your decisions. In alignment if you will.
Before we dive into these tactics I want to make clear that this will take time and effort no matter which you choose. I may be helping you get out of a slump but it won’t be by snapping your fingers.
Also, mind you that these tips are coming from a very systematic, black and white human. So these may be different than what might be best for you. Either way, let’s get to it!
#1 - Revisit the year plan, month plan, big goal, or weekly tasks.
This tip assumes that you have already established a goal, some destination you’d like to reach this year or month or whatever. It assumes you have taken the time to set a new standard, and you’re feeling off track from the original route.
If you have not actually laid out your goal with an action plan…well that’s your new step one.
I’ll share my example because like I said, this literally happened to me a while back. I felt like I was twiddling my fingers and kind of wading in the water versus going to toward a goal with clarity.
It doesn’t take long for me to address this issue because wading in the water is not productive and I hate not being productive.
So, I used tool #1.
I found myself wanting to start a new project - a project I don’t plan to start until 2021 or while we’re home for three months in 2020. THAT is not what I needed to be doing. And it would not have been a wise use of my time. I was aware of that, yet I still felt lost as to how I SHOULD be spending my time.
Enter revisiting the year, month or week plan. Or all of those for that matter.
I plan three priorities for my week. This happens on Fridays, when I review my week - three wins, three lessons, three priorities for the upcoming week.
I learned this practice in my mastermind in 2019 and while it was overwhelming at first, it was SO EFFECTIVE for me. Therefore I’ve kept that habit rolling strong into 2020.
For the week we’re discussing, I’d laid out my three priorities in my journal. It just so happened that I’d already accomplished two of my three priorities - two tasks which had a lot of stress tied to them.
This is likely why I was left feeling unmotivated and a bit drained after completing them. When Thursday rolled around, I was lost. Blank schedule. So why not create something new, right?! NO. Sure, maybe if the top priorities are done. But they weren’t.
So instead of starting a brand new project, I got my eyeballs on the third priority. And that felt UH-MAZING. It had been a top priority to draft up podcasts through the time that we’d be in Pa...IF YOU'RE HUMAN, YOU'VE EXPERIENCED A SLUMP. I have wanted to speak on this topic for a long time. And I think that’s partially because sometimes I feel like people think I don’t experience slumps, or low motivation.

IF YOU'RE HUMAN, YOU'VE EXPERIENCED A SLUMP.

I have wanted to speak on this topic for a long time. And I think that’s partially because sometimes I feel like people think I don’t experience slumps, or low motivation. Which is hilarious because motivation is NOT how people become successful in any area of life. Discipline and a strong why is how I believe people build success - in the gym, in life, in business, in relationships.

With that, I think we’ve all experienced a slump in life or biz or fitness. You just have no motivation or motivation for the wrong things.

Like you’re motivated to work on creative things but they’re really just busy work and have nothing to do with your essential task. Example - wakes up wanting to create new content for a project that isn’t on the table until 2021…but should really track numbers from your last launch…yes, this was me last month.

Or you go to the gym and just walk on the treadmill instead of getting your lift in (we’ll talk about this).

Or you’re just beside yourself. Not in an angry or upset way. But you’re observing your current state and not digging it? Have you ever been there? You’re not where you think you should be, you’re unsatisfied but not sure why? Something is just OFF.

Today I plan to give you three tools to pull yourself out of the slump and into the RIGHT ACTION - to get you feeling accomplished and proud of your decisions. In alignment if you will.

Before we dive into these tactics I want to make clear that this will take time and effort no matter which you choose. I may be helping you get out of a slump but it won’t be by snapping your fingers.

Also, mind you that these tips are coming from a very systematic, black and white human. So these may be different than what might be best for you. Either way, let’s get to it!

#1 - Revisit the year plan, month plan, big goal, or weekly tasks.

This tip assumes that you have already established a goal, some destination you’d like to reach this year or month or whatever. It assumes you have taken the time to set a new standard, and you’re feeling off track from the original route.

If you have not actually laid out your goal with an action plan…well that’s your new step one.

I’ll share my example because like I said, this literally happened to me a while back. I felt like I was twiddling my fingers and kind of wading in the water versus going to toward a goal with clarity.

It doesn’t take long for me to address this issue because wading in the water is not productive and I hate not being productive.

So, I used tool #1.

I found myself wanting to start a new project - a project I don’t plan to start until 2021 or while we’re home for three months in 2020. THAT is not what I needed to be doing. And it would not have been a wise use of my time. I was aware of that, yet I still felt lost as to how I SHOULD be spending my time.

Enter revisiting the year, month or week plan. Or all of those for that matter.

I plan three priorities for my week. This happens on Fridays, when I review my week - three wins, three lessons, three priorities for the upcoming week.

I learned this practice in my mastermind in 2019 and while it was overwhelming at first, it was SO EFFECTIVE for me. Therefore I’ve kept that habit rolling strong into 2020.

For the week we’re discussing, I’d laid out my three priorities in my journal. It just so happened that I’d already accomplished two of my three priorities - two tasks whic...]]>Annie Millerclean057 | To Offer Free or Not to Offer Freehttps://anniemiller.co/057-to-offer-free-or-not-to-offer-free/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=057-to-offer-free-or-not-to-offer-free
Tue, 04 Feb 2020 05:00:32 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5372To offer FREE or not to offer FREE?
Before we dive into this episode I am officially starting to pick reviews of the week and reading them at the beginning of each episode! This is low key super exciting for me because it still baffles me that there are human beings who listen to me week after week. I’ll receive DM’s from people who find the podcast, binge listen to it and then tell me how much it’s helping their coaching, biz or life and I just can’t even with myself.
So, review of the week comes from Lindsey580
That means you have been entered to be the listener of the month, which will receive a non-membership program of choice for 50% off.
Noooowww for today’s topic.
This has been an ongoing conversation since the beginning of business I am sure.
To offer free things or not to offer free things
I’ll start out with a giant spoiler alert…YES. You need to offer things FO FREE. But we can’t say that without discussing the spectrum. Because there is definitely a spectrum.
What I mean by that, is that there are different types of free content and that free content does different things for your biz.
Lucky for you, we are diving into ALL of them today.
Free content to establish trust
Social media content - high volume + no upsell (typically).
This is not directly related to your offer. But still adds value to your audience. You’re providing tips, tricks and truths that your warmer leads will take, apply and see value in. These humans will likely purchase from you down the line.
Email newsletters - a step up from social media.
Again this content is free. But these people have done more than hit the follow button. You’re not just a part of their daily scroll, where they’re seeing hundreds of other accounts. The humans said, yes Tina, I want more from you. I never want to miss what you’re layin’ down. So Imma put my name on your email list. This human knows they are your people, and are likely interested in your offers.
Blogs, YouTube videos, Podcasts - similar to social media. Free - not directly related to up-sell or specific offer of any kind.
Yes some blogs, emails or podcasts will be directly mentioning or offering something if someone joins your program, but that is not the purpose of the content most of the time.
These are just another way to provide deeper value than an Instagram post. Same topics you probably discuss on insta, but with more depth.
Everything above is free and you should at least be doing one of these on a consistent basis.
Those were free content not attached to any specific offer. Meaning there’s not a direct up-sell to your program.
Freebie to upsell
Now we get into your freebie, as I call it.
This is your intentional free content meant to give a potential client a taste of your offer, and then up-sell them. The goal is to get them to sign up for your program from the freebie.
Now, this could be anywhere from a PDF download to an hour long webinar or 5 day challenge.
You’ve got options here.
We can use a freebie from social media or your site such as my Free 3 Day Mobility + Core (this is pulled directly from BBA).
You get to choose how soon after the downloadable PDF you attempt to up-sell to your program. Mine is a 3 week email drip system that gets people to purchase Big Lift Audit or join the BBA waitlist. Now, I am always playing with this to see how we can get higher conversions. But I share just as an example of what can be done. And why you’d have a downloadable PDF.
A webinar is something I use for selling Fitspro Foundations. I have my free three mistakes online health and fitness coaches make in their biz and how to fix them in one week. This is an hour-long intensive life webinar. The three mistakes are pulled directly from FitsPro Foundations. This is super valuable whether someone enrolls in Fitspro or not. But if someone is on the fence, or considering Fitspro, it is a perfect way to spend one hour sharing ...To offer FREE or not to offer FREE? Before we dive into this episode I am officially starting to pick reviews of the week and reading them at the beginning of each episode! This is low key super exciting for me because it still baffles me that there...

To offer FREE or not to offer FREE?

Before we dive into this episode I am officially starting to pick reviews of the week and reading them at the beginning of each episode! This is low key super exciting for me because it still baffles me that there are human beings who listen to me week after week. I’ll receive DM’s from people who find the podcast, binge listen to it and then tell me how much it’s helping their coaching, biz or life and I just can’t even with myself.

So, review of the week comes from Lindsey580

That means you have been entered to be the listener of the month, which will receive a non-membership program of choice for 50% off.

Noooowww for today’s topic.

This has been an ongoing conversation since the beginning of business I am sure.

To offer free things or not to offer free things

I’ll start out with a giant spoiler alert…YES. You need to offer things FO FREE. But we can’t say that without discussing the spectrum. Because there is definitely a spectrum.

What I mean by that, is that there are different types of free content and that free content does different things for your biz.

Lucky for you, we are diving into ALL of them today.

Free content to establish trust

Social media content - high volume + no upsell (typically).

This is not directly related to your offer. But still adds value to your audience. You’re providing tips, tricks and truths that your warmer leads will take, apply and see value in. These humans will likely purchase from you down the line.

Email newsletters - a step up from social media.

Again this content is free. But these people have done more than hit the follow button. You’re not just a part of their daily scroll, where they’re seeing hundreds of other accounts. The humans said, yes Tina, I want more from you. I never want to miss what you’re layin’ down. So Imma put my name on your email list. This human knows they are your people, and are likely interested in your offers.

Blogs, YouTube videos, Podcasts - similar to social media. Free - not directly related to up-sell or specific offer of any kind.

Yes some blogs, emails or podcasts will be directly mentioning or offering something if someone joins your program, but that is not the purpose of the content most of the time.

These are just another way to provide deeper value than an Instagram post. Same topics you probably discuss on insta, but with more depth.

Everything above is free and you should at least be doing one of these on a consistent basis.

Those were free content not attached to any specific offer. Meaning there’s not a direct up-sell to your program.

Freebie to upsell

Now we get into your freebie, as I call it.

This is your intentional free content meant to give a potential client a taste of your offer, and then up-sell them. The goal is to get them to sign up for your program from the freebie.

Now, this could be anywhere from a PDF download to an hour long webinar or 5 day challenge.

You get to choose how soon after the downloadable PDF you attempt to up-sell to your program.]]>Annie Millerclean056 | Entitlement in the Online Fitness Space [follow up episode]https://anniemiller.co/056-entitlement-in-the-online-fitness-space-follow-up-episode/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=056-entitlement-in-the-online-fitness-space-follow-up-episode
Tue, 28 Jan 2020 05:00:19 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5364[lack of humility and credentials amongst “health coaches”]
This is a short follow up episode to last week’s talk on the importance of training people in person before transitioning to the online space (focusing on the different types entitlement with coaches).
Even when I posted in my stories that I was going to touch on this topic, I was immediately flooded with DM’s from people looking forward to the conversation.
So here we are, with a deeper and more specific episode about what I see as entitlement in the online space of health and fitness.
Imma address this from two angles.
One being from newbs - trainers fresh out of certification or schooling and they want to live that financial freedom, work from anywhere, online coaching biz life…
Second being from coaches who have worked in person for five years or so, and expect to transition online, fill their client roster ASAP and be respected from the get go…
Both scenarios are REAL - I have seen and had conversations with both, and neither will lead to success. Which is why we’re here. To face facts, and do better.
Some fields and job forces require a “climb the ladder” approach.
I’d say fitness, personal training and coaching in a CrossFit box all fit into that category.
It is a field that requires experience in order to build trust - from your colleagues and potential clientele.
Who you associate with and learn from can be monumental for your success. But no matter what, YOU NEED EXPERIENCE.
And that experience might come at a cost to you - your time, FO FREE.
It’s called an internship, or apprenticeship. You gain invaluable experience, at the payment of resources, referrals, and references that do good for your name.
ENTITLEMENT SCENARIO #1 - THE NEWB
This - this is what is missing in the online space. We’re talking scenario one now. The newb baby coach who has little experience, resources, or a network but wants to live that online coach lifestyle.
And let’s not even get into the lack of business experience in this scenario as well. Like you’re trying to get clients with little to no actual hands on training experience and then also trying to build a business at the same time. GOOD. LUCK. It’s not wonder the lack of success is REAL.
The culture of fitness is changing and transitioning to the online space. It has been doing so for the last five years at least. You can find top notch programming and coaching services from people all over the world. It removes the ceiling for the trainers, and increases resources for the trainee.
So yes, it’s amazing.
But with this valuable online space, we must still hold a standard for new up-and-coming trainers.
The reality is, if you want TRUE success in this field, especially online, (and by “true” I mean sustainable results for your clients and income for you), you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.
Now that doesn’t need to take five years. But I do believe the more experience you get in person, working under coaches you look up to, the more success you’ll have online IF you can translate it well.
There is much to be learned after you get that certification. SO. MUCH. TO. BE. LEARNED.
And by all means, build your online platform WHILE WORKING IN PERSON! I am not saying you can’t have a voice in the online space until you’ve trained in person. What I am saying that I’d like to squash the entitlement that people should somehow trust you, and pay you money when you have built 0% reputation in the industry.
So, I'm squashing entitlement and encouraging both - GET ALL THE IN PERSON EXPERIENCE YOU CAN - while building your online platform and ALSO learning about that space. It will make your transition so much easier. And then you won’t end up like scenario #2…
ENTITLEMENT SCENARIO #2 - THE TRANSITION-ER
The experienced coach who has little experience in the online space but knows their shit in the face to face training space tries to make the tra...[lack of humility and credentials amongst “health coaches”] This is a short follow up episode to last week’s talk on the importance of training people in person before transitioning to the online space (focusing on the different types entitlement wi...

[lack of humility and credentials amongst “health coaches”]

This is a short follow up episode to last week’s talk on the importance of training people in person before transitioning to the online space (focusing on the different types entitlement with coaches).

Even when I posted in my stories that I was going to touch on this topic, I was immediately flooded with DM’s from people looking forward to the conversation.

So here we are, with a deeper and more specific episode about what I see as entitlement in the online space of health and fitness.

Imma address this from two angles.

One being from newbs - trainers fresh out of certification or schooling and they want to live that financial freedom, work from anywhere, online coaching biz life…

Second being from coaches who have worked in person for five years or so, and expect to transition online, fill their client roster ASAP and be respected from the get go…

Both scenarios are REAL - I have seen and had conversations with both, and neither will lead to success. Which is why we’re here. To face facts, and do better.

Some fields and job forces require a “climb the ladder” approach.

I’d say fitness, personal training and coaching in a CrossFit box all fit into that category.

It is a field that requires experience in order to build trust - from your colleagues and potential clientele.

Who you associate with and learn from can be monumental for your success. But no matter what, YOU NEED EXPERIENCE.

And that experience might come at a cost to you - your time, FO FREE.

It’s called an internship, or apprenticeship. You gain invaluable experience, at the payment of resources, referrals, and references that do good for your name.

ENTITLEMENT SCENARIO #1 - THE NEWB

This - this is what is missing in the online space. We’re talking scenario one now. The newb baby coach who has little experience, resources, or a network but wants to live that online coach lifestyle.

And let’s not even get into the lack of business experience in this scenario as well. Like you’re trying to get clients with little to no actual hands on training experience and then also trying to build a business at the same time. GOOD. LUCK. It’s not wonder the lack of success is REAL.

The culture of fitness is changing and transitioning to the online space. It has been doing so for the last five years at least. You can find top notch programming and coaching services from people all over the world. It removes the ceiling for the trainers, and increases resources for the trainee.

So yes, it’s amazing.

But with this valuable online space, we must still hold a standard for new up-and-coming trainers.

The reality is, if you want TRUE success in this field, especially online, (and by “true” I mean sustainable results for your clients and income for you), you have to start at the bottom and work your way up.

Now that doesn’t need to take five years. But I do believe the more experience you get in person, working under coaches you look up to, the more success you’ll have online IF you can translate it well.

There is much to be learned after you get that certification. SO. MUCH. TO. BE. LEARNED.

And by all means, build your online platform WHILE WORKING IN PERSON! I am not saying you can’t have a voice in the online space until you’ve trained in person.]]>Annie Millerclean055 | Coach In Person Before Coaching Onlinehttps://anniemiller.co/055-coach-in-person-before-coaching-online/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=055-coach-in-person-before-coaching-online
Tue, 21 Jan 2020 05:00:29 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5360DO NOT COACH ONLINE BEFORE HAVING COACHED IN PERSON.
In the world of online health and fitness, it is becoming more and more common for people to want to be online coaches straight out of the gate instead of coaching in person first. I may even do another episode on that issue all together and how I see it as entitlement and a desire for quick success vs. client servanthood and changing this industry. I digress…
So, for today’s episode - someone either graduated college with their exercise and sports science, kinesiology, biomechanics degree AND/OR, they get their certification and want the freedom of coaching online before they have significant experience coaching in person.
It’s a thing. I know because I receive DM’s about it all the time from young coaches wanting to build an online business.
And I never encourage a coach to work online without first having worked in person.
Just like I would never encourage someone to be an online client before having worked with a coach and received instruction IN PERSON.
It goes both ways in my opinion. There is too much value to be missed in the in person experience for both the client and the trainer when you jump straight to online training.
I believe there is invaluable experience when working with clients and other coaches in a real, face to face setting. Your certification or education is nothing without job force experience.
Do you know how to apply that knowledge to a human being?
Do you understand the different ways a person can squat?
Have you coached a human through the bench press or pull up?
Have you helped someone move around their injuries? Had hard conversations with clients who are hyper focused on their physical image?
Direct translations from in person to online
Things I learned from working as an in person trainer, strength coach and performance coach in the private, college and physical therapy sector include, but are not limited to:
Customer service - how you greet a client. The importance of the client experience.Time management on the floor and off the floor - how to time a 45 minute or hour session appropriately including a full warm up.Boundaries - what happens when a client no shows? Calls the morning of? How is that dealt with? You might be thinking that has no carryover to the online world but it 100% does. Coaches do not consider all scenarios before having contracts written up.Programming - this is a topic I get asked about maybe more than anything by fellow coaches. I’ve said someday I’ll create a programming course, because I know there is such a high demand for people who want to understand the ins and outs of programming + feel confident in their ability to assess & program efficiently. So, no surprise here...working in person is a freaking gem for programming.
You get to see first hand different limitations people have, commonalities in the assessment process. You’ll find your go-to back up exercises and quick on the spot alterations to certain movement patterns. You weave creativity with efficient purposeful programming. So, you’re gaining experience actually writing the programming ahead of time, and then you get the on the spot trial and error + direct feedback from the client.
I’m also going to add grit to this conversation. In person schedule and online schedule are polar opposites. In person you’ll likely work a split shift, 5 or 6am start time to about 10 or 11am. Break from 11 or noon to 4pm. Get your lift in, some lunch and programming, then train clients until 8pm. Your hours will often be opposite of normal work hours. Now, this could be TOTALLY false depending on the sector you work in. Obviously this was my truth for seven years of coaching in person, but in college athletics it was 5:45am to 7pm with teams in and out of the weight room all day. And it was a different schedule depending on the day. At the physical therapy clinic it was a mixture of the two,DO NOT COACH ONLINE BEFORE HAVING COACHED IN PERSON. In the world of online health and fitness, it is becoming more and more common for people to want to be online coaches straight out of the gate instead of coaching in person first.

DO NOT COACH ONLINE BEFORE HAVING COACHED IN PERSON.

In the world of online health and fitness, it is becoming more and more common for people to want to be online coaches straight out of the gate instead of coaching in person first. I may even do another episode on that issue all together and how I see it as entitlement and a desire for quick success vs. client servanthood and changing this industry. I digress…

So, for today’s episode - someone either graduated college with their exercise and sports science, kinesiology, biomechanics degree AND/OR, they get their certification and want the freedom of coaching online before they have significant experience coaching in person.

It’s a thing. I know because I receive DM’s about it all the time from young coaches wanting to build an online business.

And I never encourage a coach to work online without first having worked in person.

Just like I would never encourage someone to be an online client before having worked with a coach and received instruction IN PERSON.

It goes both ways in my opinion. There is too much value to be missed in the in person experience for both the client and the trainer when you jump straight to online training.

I believe there is invaluable experience when working with clients and other coaches in a real, face to face setting. Your certification or education is nothing without job force experience.

Do you know how to apply that knowledge to a human being?

Do you understand the different ways a person can squat?

Have you coached a human through the bench press or pull up?

Have you helped someone move around their injuries? Had hard conversations with clients who are hyper focused on their physical image?

Direct translations from in person to online

Things I learned from working as an in person trainer, strength coach and performance coach in the private, college and physical therapy sector include, but are not limited to:

* Customer service - how you greet a client. The importance of the client experience.* Time management on the floor and off the floor - how to time a 45 minute or hour session appropriately including a full warm up.* Boundaries - what happens when a client no shows? Calls the morning of? How is that dealt with? You might be thinking that has no carryover to the online world but it 100% does. Coaches do not consider all scenarios before having contracts written up.* Programming - this is a topic I get asked about maybe more than anything by fellow coaches. I’ve said someday I’ll create a programming course, because I know there is such a high demand for people who want to understand the ins and outs of programming + feel confident in their ability to assess & program efficiently. So, no surprise here...working in person is a freaking gem for programming.

You get to see first hand different limitations people have, commonalities in the assessment process. You’ll find your go-to back up exercises and quick on the spot alterations to certain movement patterns. You weave creativity with efficient purposeful programming. So, you’re gaining experience actually writing the programming ahead of time, and then you get the on the spot trial and error + direct feedback from the client.

I’m also going to add grit to this conversation. In person schedule and online schedule are polar opposites. In person you’ll likely work a split shift, 5 or 6am start time to about 10 or 11am. Break from 11 or noon to 4pm. Get your lift in, some lunch and programming,]]>Annie Millerclean054 | My Go To Mantrashttps://anniemiller.co/054-my-go-to-mantras/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=054-my-go-to-mantras
Tue, 14 Jan 2020 05:00:28 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5356MY VIEW OF MANTRAS + FAV MANTRAS TO DATE.
I actually used to think mantras were kind of woo woo and stupid. But when you learn more, you know more and you can then make decisions based on that knowledge.
Now, I didn’t look up, nor do I know the definition of a mantra. But I know I was thinking of them in a restricted manner before. So I’ll share my journey to embracing mantras and then walk you through my four favs over the last two years or so.
Looking back, I’ve used “mantras” pretty heavily throughout my life whether it was in sports or religion. Many uses of positive self talk are in a mantra-like form. I’ve certainly used them by default with lifting weights - repeating the same word or phrase before a lift or even during a lift in order to get me through it with a positive and successful mindset.
I personally think of mantras as a word or phrase we repeat with the intent of changing our current reality into one we desire more than our current state. Often, if not always, mantras are things we either believe, or want to believe.
So, when I started thinking of mantras as a simple mental practice to better myself, it opened doors of possibility. Because like, I said, I had previously thought of mantras as something that happened with a shaman in a cave with smoke and ancestors. Which may also be true, but not the practice i was looking for. To each his own.
Okay, let’s get into my fav mantras that I have used and seen growth from over the past two years or so.
The first one comes from an entrepreneurial standpoint FOR SURE. I don’t remember if Allison Tenney or my Mastermind said it first, but it was def from one of those humans.
Mantra #1 is:
THIS CAN BE EASY
It is so common to feel overwhelm and mild panic in the work of entrepreneurship. Shit hits the fan more often than not, especially when you’re just starting out. Obviously with the more experience you have, the more confidence you gain in your ability to solve problems and roll with the punches.
But even then, it’s never fun to have the wrong email link go out to thousands of people, or the internet to crash during your live call, or just...doing your taxes, in general.
So when we got home, I was pretty stressed and had given myself some rather unrealistic deadlines for producing and launching the Big Lift Audit with an update to Built By Annie. It was a lot. There were tears. And Nate and I had also planned a two week road trip during this period of time for his birthday, so the pressure was on to get a nauseating amount of work done in a VERY short time.
And so I started repeating “this can be easy” “this can be easy” - and I kid you not, just verbalizing that possibility into reality brought a sense of calmness and confidence in myself. It went from complete and utter chaotic overwhelm to “We can do this. People need this. What needs to happen first?”
That was the first time I REALLY put this mantra to work and I have used it countless times since, in order to keep my cool and accomplish something that seems overwhelming, unrealistic, or just down right frustrating.
In the process of hiring my virtual assistant, contacting the state, and creating and terminating accounts for two months, you better believe “this can be easy” kept me from physically reaching through the phone to rip off the heads of state employment officials.
So, give it a try in literally ANY area of life when you need something to feel more possible than it feels right now. I’d even use this in lifting or a hard workout. It’s a simple mindset shift into possibilities.
There is a #1.5 that kind of goes along with #1.
I have time
I heard this from one of my 1:1 clients. She was in a stressful season and had a lot going on. It was more than she felt like she had time for. So she was repeating “I have time.” I immediately fell in love with this phrase and have used it on several occasions since then.
Again,MY VIEW OF MANTRAS + FAV MANTRAS TO DATE. I actually used to think mantras were kind of woo woo and stupid. But when you learn more, you know more and you can then make decisions based on that knowledge. Now, I didn’t look up,

MY VIEW OF MANTRAS + FAV MANTRAS TO DATE.

I actually used to think mantras were kind of woo woo and stupid. But when you learn more, you know more and you can then make decisions based on that knowledge.

Now, I didn’t look up, nor do I know the definition of a mantra. But I know I was thinking of them in a restricted manner before. So I’ll share my journey to embracing mantras and then walk you through my four favs over the last two years or so.

Looking back, I’ve used “mantras” pretty heavily throughout my life whether it was in sports or religion. Many uses of positive self talk are in a mantra-like form. I’ve certainly used them by default with lifting weights - repeating the same word or phrase before a lift or even during a lift in order to get me through it with a positive and successful mindset.

I personally think of mantras as a word or phrase we repeat with the intent of changing our current reality into one we desire more than our current state. Often, if not always, mantras are things we either believe, or want to believe.

So, when I started thinking of mantras as a simple mental practice to better myself, it opened doors of possibility. Because like, I said, I had previously thought of mantras as something that happened with a shaman in a cave with smoke and ancestors. Which may also be true, but not the practice i was looking for. To each his own.

Okay, let’s get into my fav mantras that I have used and seen growth from over the past two years or so.

The first one comes from an entrepreneurial standpoint FOR SURE. I don’t remember if Allison Tenney or my Mastermind said it first, but it was def from one of those humans.

Mantra #1 is:

THIS CAN BE EASY

It is so common to feel overwhelm and mild panic in the work of entrepreneurship. Shit hits the fan more often than not, especially when you’re just starting out. Obviously with the more experience you have, the more confidence you gain in your ability to solve problems and roll with the punches.

But even then, it’s never fun to have the wrong email link go out to thousands of people, or the internet to crash during your live call, or just...doing your taxes, in general.

So when we got home, I was pretty stressed and had given myself some rather unrealistic deadlines for producing and launching the Big Lift Audit with an update to Built By Annie. It was a lot. There were tears. And Nate and I had also planned a two week road trip during this period of time for his birthday, so the pressure was on to get a nauseating amount of work done in a VERY short time.

And so I started repeating “this can be easy” “this can be easy” - and I kid you not, just verbalizing that possibility into reality brought a sense of calmness and confidence in myself. It went from complete and utter chaotic overwhelm to “We can do this. People need this. What needs to happen first?”

That was the first time I REALLY put this mantra to work and I have used it countless times since, in order to keep my cool and accomplish something that seems overwhelming, unrealistic, or just down right frustrating.

In the process of hiring my virtual assistant, contacting the state, and creating and terminating accounts for two months, you better believe “this can be easy” kept me from physically reaching through the phone to rip off the heads of state employment officials.

So, give it a try in literally ANY area of life when you need something to feel more pos...]]>Annie Millerclean053 | Life Update + Travel Itineraryhttps://anniemiller.co/053-life-update-travel-itinerary/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=053-life-update-travel-itinerary
Tue, 07 Jan 2020 04:00:23 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5354LIFE. TRAVEL. BABIES. NATE. WORK LIFE BALANCE.
Life updates! Today is the first podcast of 2020 and at the date you’re listening to this, Nate and I are likely aboard a plane to Mexico City, which is our first location of many on round two of world travels.
Now, I realize I titled this podcast episode “Life Update & Travel Itinerary.” But it’s going to feel like a travel podcast simply because that’s the bulk of our life on 2020. We will also talk kids, work life balance, and what Nate does in all of this. For those of you who don’t know, Nate or Nathanael is my husband of six and a half years now.
So today you will for sure get our travel itinerary - as much as we have planned anyway. And our plan for coming home between our travel bouts. Because no, this time we are not traveling for a year straight.
That was the goal the first time around - travel the world for 365 days. But this time around, we’re being more picky and strategic with our travels.
Here we go, let’s dive into some life topics and updates.
Oh, but first - if you’re not following @meanderingmillers on Instagram make sure you do so. I’ll be saving IG stories there for each location. And then also make sure you join my mailing list for Annie’s Weekly Wrap which includes a recap of Instagram, travel blogs, podcasts and my current fav brands.
Okay, now let’s actually dive in.
2020 Travel Itinerary
We shall start off with the fun stuff - our 2020 travel itinerary and some details within that.
As I stated, we are starting off with two weeks in Mexico City.
Why Mexico City? A bustling city with over 20 million residents? Because it was on our list last time and we didn’t go. Their food is amazing from what we have read in blogs and seen on YouTube food travel channels, it’s a bang for your buck location and we wanted to work our way down to Patagonia so that we’d be in Patagonia in February and/or March. January is peak season in Patagonia and we wanted to avoid that as much as possible. It will still be busy when we’re there because it's Patagonia, especially since the southern most regions have a rather short season for visiting.
It just made sense to start in Mexico City. We also want to see the ruins and pyramids near Mexico City. And Nate made sure we’re staying in a “hipster” or “nomadic” neighborhood. Basically we’re staying in the safest neighborhood with the most food options. For those of you who don’t know, food is a HUGE motivator for our travels and especially for our Airbnb or accommodation choices.
We also made sure to get an apartment with a gym in it for our first location because we wanted the transition to world travel to be as smooth as possible. Having access to a gym and not having to find one, and figure out week passes, or day passes, helps that process.
After two weeks in Mexico City, eating all of the tacos for 80 cents, we head to Santa Marta, Colombia for one week.
Last round, we were actually deciding between Santa Marta and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for our month long stay in South America. We chose Rio and absolutely loved every second of it. We’d love to go back and visit again in the future if the political situation is stable and safe.
Santa Marta is a small coastal town just east of Cartagena. It’s less touristy and more laid back than Cartagena. And last time around we chose Rio for the versatility and access to fast WiFi, which I need that for my work. We will spend 7 days in Santa Marta, which is enough time to enjoy the Colombian beaches and get up to the National Park which I’m the most excited for. Nate and I definitely lean toward natural beauty over cities.
Then we have a short flight to Medellín - another one that has been on my list for a long time. Medellín is obviously known for its history with drugs and narcotics and of course, Pablo Escobar. But for at least 10-20 years now, it’s been on the up and up and is a thriving metropolis from the research we’ve done.LIFE. TRAVEL. BABIES. NATE. WORK LIFE BALANCE. Life updates! Today is the first podcast of 2020 and at the date you’re listening to this, Nate and I are likely aboard a plane to Mexico City, which is our first location of many on round two of world ...

LIFE. TRAVEL. BABIES. NATE. WORK LIFE BALANCE.

Life updates! Today is the first podcast of 2020 and at the date you’re listening to this, Nate and I are likely aboard a plane to Mexico City, which is our first location of many on round two of world travels.

Now, I realize I titled this podcast episode “Life Update & Travel Itinerary.” But it’s going to feel like a travel podcast simply because that’s the bulk of our life on 2020. We will also talk kids, work life balance, and what Nate does in all of this. For those of you who don’t know, Nate or Nathanael is my husband of six and a half years now.

So today you will for sure get our travel itinerary - as much as we have planned anyway. And our plan for coming home between our travel bouts. Because no, this time we are not traveling for a year straight.

That was the goal the first time around - travel the world for 365 days. But this time around, we’re being more picky and strategic with our travels.

We shall start off with the fun stuff - our 2020 travel itinerary and some details within that.

As I stated, we are starting off with two weeks in Mexico City.

Why Mexico City? A bustling city with over 20 million residents? Because it was on our list last time and we didn’t go. Their food is amazing from what we have read in blogs and seen on YouTube food travel channels, it’s a bang for your buck location and we wanted to work our way down to Patagonia so that we’d be in Patagonia in February and/or March. January is peak season in Patagonia and we wanted to avoid that as much as possible. It will still be busy when we’re there because it's Patagonia, especially since the southern most regions have a rather short season for visiting.

It just made sense to start in Mexico City. We also want to see the ruins and pyramids near Mexico City. And Nate made sure we’re staying in a “hipster” or “nomadic” neighborhood. Basically we’re staying in the safest neighborhood with the most food options. For those of you who don’t know, food is a HUGE motivator for our travels and especially for our Airbnb or accommodation choices.

We also made sure to get an apartment with a gym in it for our first location because we wanted the transition to world travel to be as smooth as possible. Having access to a gym and not having to find one, and figure out week passes, or day passes, helps that process.

After two weeks in Mexico City, eating all of the tacos for 80 cents, we head to Santa Marta, Colombia for one week.

Last round, we were actually deciding between Santa Marta and Rio De Janeiro, Brazil for our month long stay in South America. We chose Rio and absolutely loved every second of it. We’d love to go back and visit again in the future if the political situation is stable and safe.

Santa Marta is a small coastal town just east of Cartagena. It’s less touristy and more laid back than Cartagena. And last time around we chose Rio for the versatility and access to fast WiFi, which I need that for my work.]]>Annie Millerclean052 | The Power In Letting Good Things Gohttps://anniemiller.co/052-the-power-in-letting-good-things-go/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=052-the-power-in-letting-good-things-go
Tue, 31 Dec 2019 04:00:59 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5350LETTING GOOD THINGS GO, FOR THE WIN.
Today’s episode is based in something that I’ve talked a lot about before, and that is the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. I first read this book from an entrepreneurial standpoint, but I think the practice of essentialism is applicable to anyone and everyone.
For me, the biggest take away from the book was this idea that in order to become an essentialist, you have to practice only saying Yes to things, people, and events that are a Hell Yes. And you basically say No to everything else.
That makes sense and sounds good enough on the surface level, but when you dig a little deeper, Greg McKeown makes clear that that means saying No to things that might be a Yes, just not a Hell Yes. That means saying No to good things. Which is exactly where today’s podcast episode comes from. Because I think it’s a very important point to make when we get serious about deciding how we want to spend our time and how we might reach any goals that we have for ourselves, whether it be in life or in business.
The daily practice of essentialism.
Like anything you want to be good at, it’s going to take effort on a weekly, if not daily basis. It will require you to be mindful of not only big decisions, but little decisions. And ideally these decisions are either leading you toward or away from whatever it is that you’re trying to get to.
So I do think it is equally as important to have some sort of direction. In fact I don’t think you can really practice essentialism if you don’t have some sort of goal or direction that you are trying to work toward.
And I make the point that it is going to be a daily practice, because it’s not easy to say No to things that would usually be a Yes. To say No to otherwise good things.
I’ve used this example before in my Instagram stories, but for a season of my business I completely stopped blogging, because it wasn’t a Hell Yes for that season. I had a lot of other things that were at a higher priority for where I wanted to go and what my focus was for the given season of my life and business. Blogging is a great thing. It helps my audience, gives me exposure, and I enjoy doing it as a creative outlet. It’s a “good thing”, but it was not a Hell Yes for my given season. Therefore it was a No.
The same could be said for training really hard versus just moving my body and maintaining. There are seasons where pushing my body to new limits is a Hell Yes and there are seasons where that’s a No. That doesn’t mean that I don’t work out at all, it just means that going hard in the paint is not a Hell Yes for the given time.
Like I said, the practice of essentialism takes daily efforts and mindfulness. It’s not easy to say No to things that are Yes typically. But the more you do it, the more you see how beneficial it is for your life and getting you where you want to go.
I would also note that it’s very freeing. It felt so good in that season of my business where I didn’t blog to know that I could go back to blogging at any time. Just because it wasn’t a Hell Yes for a month or two of my business didn’t mean that I would never blog again. it didn’t mean that it was forever a No. It just meant that for a given duration, it needed to be a No in order to create space for my Hell Yeses.
It’s definitely a struggle. Not an overnight thing.
We’re humans with feelings and passions and desires. While I am all about being multi passionate (look at Hilary Rushford, Jenna Kutcher, Joanna gains and Jordan Dooley). All doing all the things successfully. But they did them ONE. AT. A. TIME.
I truly do believe you can do all the things, just not all at once. This is a pillar of Essentialism. It’s literally the cover of the book. Instead of putting your efforts in 17 directions and getting nowhere fast, focus in on ONE or TWO directions and go ham.
I’m sure you’ve heard this suggestion and logic in some way before.LETTING GOOD THINGS GO, FOR THE WIN. Today’s episode is based in something that I’ve talked a lot about before, and that is the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. I first read this book from an entrepreneurial standpoint,

LETTING GOOD THINGS GO, FOR THE WIN.

Today’s episode is based in something that I’ve talked a lot about before, and that is the book Essentialism by Greg McKeown. I first read this book from an entrepreneurial standpoint, but I think the practice of essentialism is applicable to anyone and everyone.

For me, the biggest take away from the book was this idea that in order to become an essentialist, you have to practice only saying Yes to things, people, and events that are a Hell Yes. And you basically say No to everything else.

That makes sense and sounds good enough on the surface level, but when you dig a little deeper, Greg McKeown makes clear that that means saying No to things that might be a Yes, just not a Hell Yes. That means saying No to good things. Which is exactly where today’s podcast episode comes from. Because I think it’s a very important point to make when we get serious about deciding how we want to spend our time and how we might reach any goals that we have for ourselves, whether it be in life or in business.

The daily practice of essentialism.

Like anything you want to be good at, it’s going to take effort on a weekly, if not daily basis. It will require you to be mindful of not only big decisions, but little decisions. And ideally these decisions are either leading you toward or away from whatever it is that you’re trying to get to.

So I do think it is equally as important to have some sort of direction. In fact I don’t think you can really practice essentialism if you don’t have some sort of goal or direction that you are trying to work toward.

And I make the point that it is going to be a daily practice, because it’s not easy to say No to things that would usually be a Yes. To say No to otherwise good things.

I’ve used this example before in my Instagram stories, but for a season of my business I completely stopped blogging, because it wasn’t a Hell Yes for that season. I had a lot of other things that were at a higher priority for where I wanted to go and what my focus was for the given season of my life and business. Blogging is a great thing. It helps my audience, gives me exposure, and I enjoy doing it as a creative outlet. It’s a “good thing”, but it was not a Hell Yes for my given season. Therefore it was a No.

The same could be said for training really hard versus just moving my body and maintaining. There are seasons where pushing my body to new limits is a Hell Yes and there are seasons where that’s a No. That doesn’t mean that I don’t work out at all, it just means that going hard in the paint is not a Hell Yes for the given time.

Like I said, the practice of essentialism takes daily efforts and mindfulness. It’s not easy to say No to things that are Yes typically. But the more you do it, the more you see how beneficial it is for your life and getting you where you want to go.

I would also note that it’s very freeing. It felt so good in that season of my business where I didn’t blog to know that I could go back to blogging at any time. Just because it wasn’t a Hell Yes for a month or two of my business didn’t mean that I would never blog again. it didn’t mean that it was forever a No. It just meant that for a given duration, it needed to be a No in order to create space for my Hell Yeses.

It’s definitely a struggle. Not an overnight thing.

We’re humans with feelings and passions and desires. While I am all about being multi passionate (look at Hilary Rushford, Jenna Kutcher, Joanna gains and Jordan Dooley). All doing all the things successfully. But they did them ONE.]]>Annie Millerclean051 | 5 Areas of Personal Growth 2019https://anniemiller.co/051-5-areas-of-personal-growth-2019/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=051-5-areas-of-personal-growth-2019
Tue, 24 Dec 2019 04:00:09 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=53482019 was honestly one of the best years of my life thus far. That is largely in part to traveling the world. It didn’t suck. As well as business growth and financial stability. YES, I believe we ought to be grateful in all states, which is easier said than done. But if we’re being honest, money does, to some extent, allow for more freedom and less specified stress IF dealt with like a good steward.
Which is something I’ll talk about a bit later, because money mindset was something I worked heavily on in 2019. This was simply because I was making more money and wanted to be responsible with it, but knew that I had false beliefs around money that would not benefit me, my marriage or my business.
So, kudos to world travel and business. Because its all a part of my life and self growth. I read less books and had more experiences. I made more friends on the internet than I’ve ever had in real life.
And I learned so much this year. So let’s dive into my five big takeaways from 2019.
I’m WAY more flexible
If you don’t know, I am an introverted Type A, ISTJ-A on Myers Briggs, 8 Enneagram and shift between a Questioner and Upholder on Gretchen Rubens four tendencies.
All of that means I like structure, systems and predictability. I want to know the end of the movie before I watch it. I want to repeat things that work and am slightly terrified of things are new to me, with no proof of being efficient or productive. You get my drift.
Now picture the person I just described, traveling the world while running and scaling an online business…
Really, that is WHY I can do both successfully, BUT like any scenario, our strengths are often our weaknesses as well.
When 2019 hit, we were off to South East Asia, very little of which we had planned. I had an option to remain uptight and want to plan every little thing (which is what I tend toward), or I could learn to go with the flow. At least a little more.
We actually got to the point that we were booking things as we went rather than super far in advance. I will say that we like having our flights and hotels booked ahead, just for peace of mind. But it’s so easy to travel in Southeast Asia that it was a great time to be more flexible. When we found out I was invited to go with Fre Skincare to Morocco and got the dates, we pretty much just filled our time between seven countries in Southeast Asia and then planned an impromptu road trip through Portugal before heading to Morocco.
That flexibility transferred to business and life in general. It’s still important for me to plan. But I am definitely more flexible with those plans and sometimes even find myself feeling restricted if my scheduled plans don’t align with what I feel like doing that day.
I don’t know if you are comprehending that that is a HUGE deal for me. I am a changed woman.
Another area of growth was relationships.
I made more friends
I went from starting college and working to being in college, working and interning, to working, training people in person and building an online business.
Add in the blaring introvert in me, and you can see why a social life was not a priority to me.
Yes, I had friends. But if I had a choice between getting coffee alone and getting coffee with a friend, I probably would have chosen alone. I was busy, SO BUSY. And I reset by being alone, slowing down, reflecting and creating space for my brain to breathe. Which is not how feel when with people, even people I love.
So, here I was 5-6 years in to being BUSY AF and not pursuing friends, to traveling the world with one human. A human I happen to love, and who I will spend the rest of my life with. But I’d yearned for more friends and connections for YEARS. And it was like a burning desire once I went all in on my online biz and started traveling the world.
It was very apparent I needed friends. And I happened to find mine on Instagram.
You think that’s weird?2019 was honestly one of the best years of my life thus far. That is largely in part to traveling the world. It didn’t suck. As well as business growth and financial stability. YES, I believe we ought to be grateful in all states,

2019 was honestly one of the best years of my life thus far. That is largely in part to traveling the world. It didn’t suck. As well as business growth and financial stability. YES, I believe we ought to be grateful in all states, which is easier said than done. But if we’re being honest, money does, to some extent, allow for more freedom and less specified stress IF dealt with like a good steward.

Which is something I’ll talk about a bit later, because money mindset was something I worked heavily on in 2019. This was simply because I was making more money and wanted to be responsible with it, but knew that I had false beliefs around money that would not benefit me, my marriage or my business.

So, kudos to world travel and business. Because its all a part of my life and self growth. I read less books and had more experiences. I made more friends on the internet than I’ve ever had in real life.

And I learned so much this year. So let’s dive into my five big takeaways from 2019.

I’m WAY more flexible

If you don’t know, I am an introverted Type A, ISTJ-A on Myers Briggs, 8 Enneagram and shift between a Questioner and Upholder on Gretchen Rubens four tendencies.

All of that means I like structure, systems and predictability. I want to know the end of the movie before I watch it. I want to repeat things that work and am slightly terrified of things are new to me, with no proof of being efficient or productive. You get my drift.

Now picture the person I just described, traveling the world while running and scaling an online business…

Really, that is WHY I can do both successfully, BUT like any scenario, our strengths are often our weaknesses as well.

When 2019 hit, we were off to South East Asia, very little of which we had planned. I had an option to remain uptight and want to plan every little thing (which is what I tend toward), or I could learn to go with the flow. At least a little more.

We actually got to the point that we were booking things as we went rather than super far in advance. I will say that we like having our flights and hotels booked ahead, just for peace of mind. But it’s so easy to travel in Southeast Asia that it was a great time to be more flexible. When we found out I was invited to go with Fre Skincare to Morocco and got the dates, we pretty much just filled our time between seven countries in Southeast Asia and then planned an impromptu road trip through Portugal before heading to Morocco.

That flexibility transferred to business and life in general. It’s still important for me to plan. But I am definitely more flexible with those plans and sometimes even find myself feeling restricted if my scheduled plans don’t align with what I feel like doing that day.

I don’t know if you are comprehending that that is a HUGE deal for me. I am a changed woman.

Another area of growth was relationships.

I made more friends

I went from starting college and working to being in college, working and interning, to working, training people in person and building an online business.

Add in the blaring introvert in me, and you can see why a social life was not a priority to me.

Yes, I had friends. But if I had a choice between getting coffee alone and getting coffee with a friend, I probably would have chosen alone. I was busy, SO BUSY. And I reset by being alone, slowing down, reflecting and creating space for my brain to breathe. Which is not how feel when with people, even people I love.

So,]]>Annie Millerclean050 | 3 Truths You Need to Believe About Painhttps://anniemiller.co/050-3-truths-you-need-to-believe-about-pain/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=050-3-truths-you-need-to-believe-about-pain
Tue, 17 Dec 2019 04:00:44 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=53443 TRUTHS YOU NEED TO EMBRACE ABOUT PAIN
The topic of pain is so important to discuss as professionals in the health and fitness industry, and really, as a human being. If you’re human, you’ve experienced pain. And it’s so multifaceted because pain is, in a physical and emotional sense, perception. It’s subjective. Which for me is beautiful because it really takes away the comparison of one person's pain to another.
My objective today is to challenge some of your beliefs around pain, from both a fitness and emotional viewpoint.
And to hopefully give you some efficacy within your pain. You’ll be able to look back and reflect on past experiences with pain, as well as be better equipped the next time it enters your life. Again, from a fitness or emotional perspective.
My personal experience:
I have to state that I’m not a doctor or psychiatrist or mental healthcare professional. I’m just a girl who has experienced her fair share of pain through injuries and life experience. And I happen to be a certified strength and conditioning specialist who has one puny year of internship in a physical therapy clinic, and a whole lot more time as a patient in physical therapy (cue torn LCL, meniscus, 4 broken arms, years of ankle sprains, and a double roll over car accident, after which I went on to compete with my team at a competitive cheerleading completion, ending in a neck brace, followed by 9 months of chiropractic, PT and massage three days per week...and disc injuries ever since).
That lovely list is NOT to brag, but to simply to say I am not whipping this pain stuff out of thin air. I am speaking from experience both as a repeatedly injured human and as a current strength professional who does not want you to be in pain and/or be a victim to your pain.
Okay, now that we cleared up that this is not medical or mental health advice, let’s dive into the three things I think are monumentally powerful when talking about pain and how we experience it. And these are all HUGE for coaches or professionals who work with humans that may experience pain in the gym, so listen up.
I also want to give credit where credit is due. I have had these beliefs for the better part of 10 years, but they were re-instilled in me at Prehab 101 with Dr. Jacob Harden. And some of the verbiage I may use could be from him. So, strength coaches, PTs, chiros, go follow Jacob. @dr.jacob.harden on IG.
If you’re looking for another organization of professionals in line with these philosophies, check out Active Life Rx. They’re doing VERY big things and I actually just completed their Immersion Course for Coaches where we touched a lot on client communication and programming around pain.
So, holy cow, #1. I swear there will be tactical take aways here.
You are not your injury or diagnosis
Might sound simple but it can be freaking profound because it is WAY TOO COMMON for people to identify with their injury or diagnosis.
Hear me out:
I believe this for physical pain as well as emotional pain: you experience depression, you are not depressed. You have a disc injury currently and you go around saying “I have a bad back” like it can’t be fixed.
You are more than one aspect of your life. I don’t struggle with anxiety or depression but there are many other types of emotional pain someone can experience. If you’re human, you probably have some baggage and have experienced pain in some facet of life. And I believe it’s part of the human existence.
It is imperative that you view pain as an experience. Not as a permanent condition. Now, if we get into the weeds here and talk terminal illness or injury, it could get dicey. And I respect that. But that is not what I am referring to here.
My point is, that when you make it a permanent thing, you’ve removed the possibility of change. You’ve already limited yourself. And ultimately I don’t think that’s what you want.
So, plain and simple; that’s #1.3 TRUTHS YOU NEED TO EMBRACE ABOUT PAIN The topic of pain is so important to discuss as professionals in the health and fitness industry, and really, as a human being. If you’re human, you’ve experienced pain.

3 TRUTHS YOU NEED TO EMBRACE ABOUT PAIN

The topic of pain is so important to discuss as professionals in the health and fitness industry, and really, as a human being. If you’re human, you’ve experienced pain. And it’s so multifaceted because pain is, in a physical and emotional sense, perception. It’s subjective. Which for me is beautiful because it really takes away the comparison of one person's pain to another.

My objective today is to challenge some of your beliefs around pain, from both a fitness and emotional viewpoint.

And to hopefully give you some efficacy within your pain. You’ll be able to look back and reflect on past experiences with pain, as well as be better equipped the next time it enters your life. Again, from a fitness or emotional perspective.

My personal experience:

I have to state that I’m not a doctor or psychiatrist or mental healthcare professional. I’m just a girl who has experienced her fair share of pain through injuries and life experience. And I happen to be a certified strength and conditioning specialist who has one puny year of internship in a physical therapy clinic, and a whole lot more time as a patient in physical therapy (cue torn LCL, meniscus, 4 broken arms, years of ankle sprains, and a double roll over car accident, after which I went on to compete with my team at a competitive cheerleading completion, ending in a neck brace, followed by 9 months of chiropractic, PT and massage three days per week...and disc injuries ever since).

That lovely list is NOT to brag, but to simply to say I am not whipping this pain stuff out of thin air. I am speaking from experience both as a repeatedly injured human and as a current strength professional who does not want you to be in pain and/or be a victim to your pain.

Okay, now that we cleared up that this is not medical or mental health advice, let’s dive into the three things I think are monumentally powerful when talking about pain and how we experience it. And these are all HUGE for coaches or professionals who work with humans that may experience pain in the gym, so listen up.

I also want to give credit where credit is due. I have had these beliefs for the better part of 10 years, but they were re-instilled in me at Prehab 101 with Dr. Jacob Harden. And some of the verbiage I may use could be from him. So, strength coaches, PTs, chiros, go follow Jacob. @dr.jacob.harden on IG.

If you’re looking for another organization of professionals in line with these philosophies, check out Active Life Rx. They’re doing VERY big things and I actually just completed their Immersion Course for Coaches where we touched a lot on client communication and programming around pain.

So, holy cow, #1. I swear there will be tactical take aways here.

You are not your injury or diagnosis

Might sound simple but it can be freaking profound because it is WAY TOO COMMON for people to identify with their injury or diagnosis.

Hear me out:

I believe this for physical pain as well as emotional pain: you experience depression, you are not depressed. You have a disc injury currently and you go around saying “I have a bad back” like it can’t be fixed.

You are more than one aspect of your life. I don’t struggle with anxiety or depression but there are many other types of emotional pain someone can experience. If you’re human, you probably have some baggage and have experienced pain in some facet of life.]]>Annie Millerclean049 | 3 Tips for Less Stressful Financeshttps://anniemiller.co/049-3-tips-for-less-stressful-finances/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=049-3-tips-for-less-stressful-finances
Tue, 10 Dec 2019 01:00:54 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=5171YES TO LESS STRESS AROUND FINANCES & MONEY.
Oh money. Something we all have. But rarely talk about. We have so many stigmas around money. We believe lies based on what we observed before age seven.
It’s something we don’t learn nearly enough about in school (in my opinion) and quite frankly we often allow it to have far too much power in our lives for better or worse.
This is all magnifies if you happen to be an entrepreneur and are now managing not only your personal finances but also your business's.
And imma just go out on a limb and say that most entrepreneurs are WINGING their finances with no clue if they’re “doing it right.” I also don’t fully blame them because there is truly no rule book on this. No clear cut road map that fits all businesses. Then you add our personal money mindset issues and limiting beliefs and we have a super ineffective foundation and system for finances.
With all of this I have to make a disclaimer that I’m not a financial advisor or CPA. I’m not a money ANYTHING. I’m an entrepreneur who is navigating this all the same as you.
But I do feel I have some helpful tips for you, and I want to talk transparently about money because I don’t think money remains daunting or taboo when we bring it into the light. Then its power is taken away and it becomes another subject we can learn about, like anatomy, spirituality or language. Money is neutral. It’s an exchange of energy. It is not good or bad in nature. And it’s my personal belief that money simply magnifies our current state.
If your spending habits are an impulsive shit show now, they’ll just be a BIGGER impulsive shit show when you have more income.
Soooo anyway, woah. Let’s get into how to have less stress around money and finances.
Allow me to lay out some of my past money beliefs since you may or may not identify with them -
Money = stress when you don’t have a lot. And money = greed when you have a lot. People who have a lot of money, who are rich, must be greedy and selfish.Money dictates feelings, your emotional state. Good or bad.
Now I will say from a very young age I knew hard work did not equal money. My mom worked HARD. We delivered newspapers on the weekends, and stocked Little Debbies with her on top of working at Safeway. But we did NOT have an excess of money. EVER. I picked up on the fact that hard work didn’t equal money very early in life.
Which has always helped me look at efficiency FIRST. How can we make more by doing less and providing the same value?
Nooowww the big one. My childhood drove me to want to make money and keep it all to myself. I knew I didn’t like not having money.
Therefore if I earned money, I was going to keep it to myself. No one was going to bring me back to those feelings as a child. Because of course I was terrified it would go away or it wouldn’t last or there wouldn’t be enough. This is not a great mindset folks. I don’t suggest it.
Now, perhaps you relate to some of those. Maybe yours are different.
I probable have more I haven’t realized yet. But no matter what this first tip will help you feel stress about money and finance.
Read about it
Become a student of money, and increase your financial literacy. Apply what you can.
We feel left in the dark around money. We are clueless and uninformed, left only with our childhood beliefs around money. No wonder we experience stress around the subject.
And it can be daunting to start because we often don’t know where to start.
My fav books for business are Profit First and You’re a Badass at Making Money. I don’t know of any for personal finance or money mindset specifically but know that following people like Hilary Rushford and Chloe from Deeper Than Money has been great for me.
I want you to see the possibility of being empowered around money, not trying to work a system or wing it, but truly being a good steward of money. The fact that the finances don’t have to be a complete shit sho...YES TO LESS STRESS AROUND FINANCES & MONEY. Oh money. Something we all have. But rarely talk about. We have so many stigmas around money. We believe lies based on what we observed before age seven. It’s something we don’t learn nearly enough abo...

YES TO LESS STRESS AROUND FINANCES & MONEY.

Oh money. Something we all have. But rarely talk about. We have so many stigmas around money. We believe lies based on what we observed before age seven.

It’s something we don’t learn nearly enough about in school (in my opinion) and quite frankly we often allow it to have far too much power in our lives for better or worse.

This is all magnifies if you happen to be an entrepreneur and are now managing not only your personal finances but also your business's.

And imma just go out on a limb and say that most entrepreneurs are WINGING their finances with no clue if they’re “doing it right.” I also don’t fully blame them because there is truly no rule book on this. No clear cut road map that fits all businesses. Then you add our personal money mindset issues and limiting beliefs and we have a super ineffective foundation and system for finances.

With all of this I have to make a disclaimer that I’m not a financial advisor or CPA. I’m not a money ANYTHING. I’m an entrepreneur who is navigating this all the same as you.

But I do feel I have some helpful tips for you, and I want to talk transparently about money because I don’t think money remains daunting or taboo when we bring it into the light. Then its power is taken away and it becomes another subject we can learn about, like anatomy, spirituality or language. Money is neutral. It’s an exchange of energy. It is not good or bad in nature. And it’s my personal belief that money simply magnifies our current state.

If your spending habits are an impulsive shit show now, they’ll just be a BIGGER impulsive shit show when you have more income.

Soooo anyway, woah. Let’s get into how to have less stress around money and finances.

Allow me to lay out some of my past money beliefs since you may or may not identify with them -

* Money = stress when you don’t have a lot. And money = greed when you have a lot. People who have a lot of money, who are rich, must be greedy and selfish.* Money dictates feelings, your emotional state. Good or bad.

Now I will say from a very young age I knew hard work did not equal money. My mom worked HARD. We delivered newspapers on the weekends, and stocked Little Debbies with her on top of working at Safeway. But we did NOT have an excess of money. EVER. I picked up on the fact that hard work didn’t equal money very early in life.

Which has always helped me look at efficiency FIRST. How can we make more by doing less and providing the same value?

Nooowww the big one. My childhood drove me to want to make money and keep it all to myself. I knew I didn’t like not having money.

Therefore if I earned money, I was going to keep it to myself. No one was going to bring me back to those feelings as a child. Because of course I was terrified it would go away or it wouldn’t last or there wouldn’t be enough. This is not a great mindset folks. I don’t suggest it.

Now, perhaps you relate to some of those. Maybe yours are different.

I probable have more I haven’t realized yet. But no matter what this first tip will help you feel stress about money and finance.

Read about it

Become a student of money, and increase your financial literacy. Apply what you can.

We feel left in the dark around money. We are clueless and uninformed, left only with our childhood beliefs around money. No wonder we experience stress around the subject.

]]>Annie Millerclean048 | How Many Days Per Week Should You Train?https://anniemiller.co/048-how-many-days-per-week-should-you-train/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=048-how-many-days-per-week-should-you-train
Tue, 03 Dec 2019 04:00:25 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4953HOW MANY DAYS PER WEEK SHOULD YOU TRAIN?
This is a question I have received so many times via the gram and in real life conversation.
I’d say it’s more common among newer lifters, people who are just starting out or new to weight lifting specifically.
The question is multifaceted and I plan to cover the topics of:
“How many days should I lift?” “Is three or five days per week better?” and“Can I progress only lifting three days per week?
I am sure you’ve either had or heard some rendition of these questions. People just want to know how to spend their time wisely in the gym in order to get the results they are wanting. And I don’t think we can blame them for that.
So, I’ll answer all questions with my fav answer + give a generalization then dive into things like training age and options for three, four or five day per week training sessions.
It depends
First off, to answer all training questions, IT DEPENDS. How many days you should train per week depends on your training history, your current goals, what you’re actually doing in the gym during your training sessions, and so much more.
To give a blanket statement would be ignoring all of the factors just stated. But I will give you a blanket statement, nonetheless. Then dive deeper into what all goes into that statement.
How many days per week should you train?
Generally speaking, three to five.
That is a VERY vague statement my friends! Is that three days a week at 30 minutes per session or 90 minutes per session? Is that high intensity work? Strictly strength training? Do you see why yes, it may be true that 3-5 days per week of training will get most humans the results they’re looking for, but there is SO MUCH more that goes into that answer.
Let’s lay the ground work here so you understand what context I am speaking from.
We’re talking about my humans who want to increase strength, mobility, work capacity or a skill of some kind. Skills ranging from a back squat to a pistol squat, pull up or muscle up. Okay? They are training upper and lower body. Whether that happens on the same day, we don’t know yet. But humans need to work their entire body, that’s where I am coming in answer this question.
With the above scenario… 3-5 days of training seems to work for most humans - why not two days per week?
If you’re training two, you’re maintaining at best or only focusing on one area while everything else decreases.
If someone is wanting to improve one area, sure, two days per week would do it. But if you’re wanting to maintain strength, and muscle mass, MAYBE. With very strategically planned lifts. But we are likely NOT making gains training twice per week. The caveat here would be for a newbie. Yes, someone with a very young training age [meaning they are new to weight lifting] will make gains only training twice per week. Most of these gains will be neurological gains. Their body is learning A LOT of new skills and improving neural pathways from brain to muscle.
If you have experience weight training, two days per week might allow you to maintain if you’re working at 75% of your max. But I wouldn’t count on making any gains.
I don’t say six days per week because I honestly don’t think the average person looking to get stronger, increase mobility or work capacity or perhaps improve body composition needs to be training six days per week. And if they are, they better be able to get a proper amount of fuel and recovery for it. This is not of course scientifically backed. I am only speaking from personal and client experience. Training four to five days per week seems to be a sweet spot for gains, consistency, and joy in the gym.
This allows for work to be done on mobility, strength, and work capacity + play with training splits without exceeding 70 minutes in the gym per session. Because we must consider time and energy spent per session as well. We aren’t taking about body builders or competitive weightlifters or cros...HOW MANY DAYS PER WEEK SHOULD YOU TRAIN? This is a question I have received so many times via the gram and in real life conversation. I’d say it’s more common among newer lifters, people who are just starting out or new to weight lifting specific...

HOW MANY DAYS PER WEEK SHOULD YOU TRAIN?

This is a question I have received so many times via the gram and in real life conversation.

I’d say it’s more common among newer lifters, people who are just starting out or new to weight lifting specifically.

The question is multifaceted and I plan to cover the topics of:

* “How many days should I lift?” * “Is three or five days per week better?” and* “Can I progress only lifting three days per week?

I am sure you’ve either had or heard some rendition of these questions. People just want to know how to spend their time wisely in the gym in order to get the results they are wanting. And I don’t think we can blame them for that.

So, I’ll answer all questions with my fav answer + give a generalization then dive into things like training age and options for three, four or five day per week training sessions.

It depends

First off, to answer all training questions, IT DEPENDS. How many days you should train per week depends on your training history, your current goals, what you’re actually doing in the gym during your training sessions, and so much more.

To give a blanket statement would be ignoring all of the factors just stated. But I will give you a blanket statement, nonetheless. Then dive deeper into what all goes into that statement.

How many days per week should you train?

Generally speaking, three to five.

That is a VERY vague statement my friends! Is that three days a week at 30 minutes per session or 90 minutes per session? Is that high intensity work? Strictly strength training? Do you see why yes, it may be true that 3-5 days per week of training will get most humans the results they’re looking for, but there is SO MUCH more that goes into that answer.

Let’s lay the ground work here so you understand what context I am speaking from.

We’re talking about my humans who want to increase strength, mobility, work capacity or a skill of some kind. Skills ranging from a back squat to a pistol squat, pull up or muscle up. Okay? They are training upper and lower body. Whether that happens on the same day, we don’t know yet. But humans need to work their entire body, that’s where I am coming in answer this question.

With the above scenario… 3-5 days of training seems to work for most humans - why not two days per week?

* If you’re training two, you’re maintaining at best or only focusing on one area while everything else decreases.

If someone is wanting to improve one area, sure, two days per week would do it. But if you’re wanting to maintain strength, and muscle mass, MAYBE. With very strategically planned lifts. But we are likely NOT making gains training twice per week. The caveat here would be for a newbie. Yes, someone with a very young training age [meaning they are new to weight lifting] will make gains only training twice per week. Most of these gains will be neurological gains. Their body is learning A LOT of new skills and improving neural pathways from brain to muscle.

If you have experience weight training, two days per week might allow you to maintain if you’re working at 75% of your max. But I wouldn’t count on making any gains.

I don’t say six days per week because I honestly don’t think the average person looking to get stronger, increase mobility or work capacity or perhaps improve body composition needs to be training six days per week. And if they are, they better be able to get a proper amount of fuel and recovery for...]]>Annie Millerclean047 | 2020 Goal Settinghttps://anniemiller.co/047-2020-goal-planning/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=047-2020-goal-planning
Tue, 26 Nov 2019 04:00:09 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4910GOAL SETTING 2020
As we near the end of 2019, I thought it would be fun to recap some of the things I learned this year + how that changed my planning tactics for 2020. My hope is that you gain some insightful takeaways from this episode for your own new year plans.
Now, I must preface this by pointing out that I am THE BIGGEST fan of NOT waiting for the new year or any date for that matter to start doing the THING. Whatever “the thing” is. I am on team start now, start messy, write it down and take action today.
I mean, I started planning 2020 in November and have already completed some of my 2020 goals. Which just speaks to the power of creating goals, writing them down, and brainstorming a plan. I literally don’t have words to express my feelings around the power of diligent planning combined with messy action. Truly, magical things happen when you commit to a planning process, and reviewing that plan often.
So, let’s go ahead and dive into some of the things I did in 2019 that went well, along with things that have created different actions heading into 2020.
2019 - things that worked
I’ve talked about this previously, but quarterly planning was life changing and was a huge mindset shift for me from business owner to true CEO.
I love paper planners. I live by them. In fact I recently published a blog post with my fav planners heading into 2020.
One of which was Amber McCue’s Fresh Start Workbook & Planner for 2020.
I used her 2019 version starting in Nov of 2018 to REALLY start planning my 2019 year.
She breaks it down from main annual goals to quarterly focus goals, and then month to month goals which are of course in line with your quarterly goals.
Then at the end of each month, you review your last month, see what worked and what didn’t so you can make adjustments moving forward.
I know. That sounds like a lot of time, and work. And to be honest, it is. But it was also far more effective than NOT having a plan, or having a half-assed plan in my head, or straight up winging running a business. Right?
I knew after using it for just one quarter that I’d be using it again in 2020. So I did.
Goal setting: What I’m doing in 2020
In November I began reflecting on 2019 and planning 2020.
In 2019 I had too many goals. I decided in 2020 to cut it down from four big goals to two big goals.
I won’t be revealing those here. But in focusing on just one or two things, I already feel less overwhelmed than I did last year at this time. It’s so refreshing to know that I will only be honing in on two areas of my biz in 2020. That frees up so much headspace for me. Especially with the amount of travel we plan to do in the new year.
Because I have chosen to focus on 1-2 areas of growth, I have already began tackling those and am well on my way to reaching my goals.
I also want to point out two things -
My goals for 2020 were goals I had in 2019 and didn’t reach. I was not actively trying to reach them. And we all know a goal is great, but it’s nothing without a plan and ACTION. These are still things I want very much so for my biz. So, I simply pushed them to 2020 and they are now my main focus.WITH THAT. I made a goal in the end of 2018 that I didn’t want to create anything NEW in 2020 - no new products. I knew I’d be creating all the things in 2019 and just wanted to BREATHE, optimize and align those services in 2020.
So, yes. A goal in 2020 for me is to NOT open any new things. I know you might think that is crazy. And I will likely update some things. But if you’ve ever created anything you know how much time, effort, sweat blood and tears goes into not only the creation process, but the marketing, launching, email list building, sales page creating, and so on. It is not simple, and it is not easy.
In 2019 I created, launched and relaunched A LOT of things. Which has given me an amazing base to work from in 2020.
Now for me, it’s about optimizing those offers,GOAL SETTING 2020 As we near the end of 2019, I thought it would be fun to recap some of the things I learned this year + how that changed my planning tactics for 2020. My hope is that you gain some insightful takeaways from this episode for your ow...

GOAL SETTING 2020

As we near the end of 2019, I thought it would be fun to recap some of the things I learned this year + how that changed my planning tactics for 2020. My hope is that you gain some insightful takeaways from this episode for your own new year plans.

Now, I must preface this by pointing out that I am THE BIGGEST fan of NOT waiting for the new year or any date for that matter to start doing the THING. Whatever “the thing” is. I am on team start now, start messy, write it down and take action today.

I mean, I started planning 2020 in November and have already completed some of my 2020 goals. Which just speaks to the power of creating goals, writing them down, and brainstorming a plan. I literally don’t have words to express my feelings around the power of diligent planning combined with messy action. Truly, magical things happen when you commit to a planning process, and reviewing that plan often.

So, let’s go ahead and dive into some of the things I did in 2019 that went well, along with things that have created different actions heading into 2020.

2019 - things that worked

I’ve talked about this previously, but quarterly planning was life changing and was a huge mindset shift for me from business owner to true CEO.

I used her 2019 version starting in Nov of 2018 to REALLY start planning my 2019 year.

She breaks it down from main annual goals to quarterly focus goals, and then month to month goals which are of course in line with your quarterly goals.

Then at the end of each month, you review your last month, see what worked and what didn’t so you can make adjustments moving forward.

I know. That sounds like a lot of time, and work. And to be honest, it is. But it was also far more effective than NOT having a plan, or having a half-assed plan in my head, or straight up winging running a business. Right?

I knew after using it for just one quarter that I’d be using it again in 2020. So I did.

Goal setting: What I’m doing in 2020

In November I began reflecting on 2019 and planning 2020.

In 2019 I had too many goals. I decided in 2020 to cut it down from four big goals to two big goals.

I won’t be revealing those here. But in focusing on just one or two things, I already feel less overwhelmed than I did last year at this time. It’s so refreshing to know that I will only be honing in on two areas of my biz in 2020. That frees up so much headspace for me. Especially with the amount of travel we plan to do in the new year.

Because I have chosen to focus on 1-2 areas of growth, I have already began tackling those and am well on my way to reaching my goals.

I also want to point out two things -

* My goals for 2020 were goals I had in 2019 and didn’t reach. I was not actively trying to reach them. And we all know a goal is great, but it’s nothing without a plan and ACTION. These are still things I want very much so for my biz. So, I simply pushed them to 2020 and they are now my main focus.* WITH THAT. I made a goal in the end of 2018 that I didn’t want to create anything NEW in 2020 - no ne...]]>Annie Millerclean046 | Results From Posting 85% Less on Instagramhttps://anniemiller.co/046-results-from-posting-85-less-on-instagram/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=046-results-from-posting-85-less-on-instagram
Tue, 19 Nov 2019 04:00:44 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4905I WENT FROM POSTING SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK TO ONE FOR A MONTH.
For those of you that don’t know, I went from posting seven days per week to posting once or twice per week or the entire month of October. I was still in my stories almost daily.
Today I will cover why I did it, how the experiment came about, the numeric results from the experiment and the subjective/emotional results from the experiment. As well as who I think can get away with posting less and how to go about doing it.
When I mentioned it to the gram fam - that I’d be posting less, I got DMs asking where I got the idea. If it was just stress or I needed a break from the Insta or what.
Truth be told, it was a combination of three things:
I needed a break. I was burning out. And burnt out humans don’t create helpful and valuable content. Not to their normal standard anyway. I hadn’t taken a break from posting every day on Instagram for almost four years.I know that stories get me 3-5x more views and a lot more DM engagement than the feed. A far larger number of REAL meaningful interactions with my followers happen from my stories. Which is also why I encourage entrepreneurs and coaches to GET IN THEIR STORIES. You can expedite the know, like and trust from there.I had observed other successful Instagrammers doing it - they were posting less often but still getting engagement. People seemed excited that the person was posting and it didn’t seem to matter that they were posting less often. It was still enough to stay relevant, and they were still present in their stories, so it didn’t even feel like they hadn’t been posting in their feed.
When it comes down to it, I am a student of Instagram. I love it. It’s my favorite social platform. And for me; what was the worst that could happen? Engagement might decrease? I lose some not loyal followers? Big deal. If the worst happens, I know how to rebuild. I know how to get engagement back up. I know how to nurture an audience. But what if...what if I can do less work, and still serve my people well? I wouldn’t know unless I tried it, and I was more than willing to try.
You guys, I am literally SO excited to share these findings with you. Partially because I learned SO MUCH in the process and partially because I am intensely refreshed after reducing my output by 85% for a month.
Story views and engagement - no change
I was still receiving all the DMs in response to stories. Still well within my normal range of views within 24 hours. My highest days stayed the same being Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.
Profile views over last 7 days - no change
I expected this one to decrease, especially with less likelihood of getting on the explore page and less opportunity for my followers to share my posts. But it didn’t. I figured posting in your feed drives this number up but perhaps that isn’t always the case. In fact the only time I really see this number spike is when a post goes relatively viral, which actually happened in my last post of October.
My post got 50 + story shares, 434 people sent it via DM to their friends, 433 comments, 218 people saved the post, 2,611 liked it, it reached 18,035 people, and lead 6,503 people to my profile. On top of that, I gained 2,000 followers in 48 hours. View the post here.
1-3% engagement is normal and expected on Instagram with the current algorithm. Back when I started, 10-15% was normal.
Now, what constitutes a viral post is 9-10% engagement. My engagement on that post was over 10%. Clearly.
So let’s go on a little tangent here, which wasn’t planned. But that viral post is worth talking about. And I mean, what a freaking way to close out a break from Instagram right? The irony kills me. Posts 85% less, one of four posts in a month goes viral and viola, all the exposure literally overnight.
Now, I want you to remember that followers and likes don’t equal income.
Yes, the post was a very passionate post,I WENT FROM POSTING SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK TO ONE FOR A MONTH. For those of you that don’t know, I went from posting seven days per week to posting once or twice per week or the entire month of October. I was still in my stories almost daily.

I WENT FROM POSTING SEVEN DAYS PER WEEK TO ONE FOR A MONTH.

For those of you that don’t know, I went from posting seven days per week to posting once or twice per week or the entire month of October. I was still in my stories almost daily.

Today I will cover why I did it, how the experiment came about, the numeric results from the experiment and the subjective/emotional results from the experiment. As well as who I think can get away with posting less and how to go about doing it.

When I mentioned it to the gram fam - that I’d be posting less, I got DMs asking where I got the idea. If it was just stress or I needed a break from the Insta or what.

Truth be told, it was a combination of three things:

* I needed a break. I was burning out. And burnt out humans don’t create helpful and valuable content. Not to their normal standard anyway. I hadn’t taken a break from posting every day on Instagram for almost four years.* I know that stories get me 3-5x more views and a lot more DM engagement than the feed. A far larger number of REAL meaningful interactions with my followers happen from my stories. Which is also why I encourage entrepreneurs and coaches to GET IN THEIR STORIES. You can expedite the know, like and trust from there.* I had observed other successful Instagrammers doing it - they were posting less often but still getting engagement. People seemed excited that the person was posting and it didn’t seem to matter that they were posting less often. It was still enough to stay relevant, and they were still present in their stories, so it didn’t even feel like they hadn’t been posting in their feed.

When it comes down to it, I am a student of Instagram. I love it. It’s my favorite social platform. And for me; what was the worst that could happen? Engagement might decrease? I lose some not loyal followers? Big deal. If the worst happens, I know how to rebuild. I know how to get engagement back up. I know how to nurture an audience. But what if...what if I can do less work, and still serve my people well? I wouldn’t know unless I tried it, and I was more than willing to try.

You guys, I am literally SO excited to share these findings with you. Partially because I learned SO MUCH in the process and partially because I am intensely refreshed after reducing my output by 85% for a month.

Story views and engagement - no change

I was still receiving all the DMs in response to stories. Still well within my normal range of views within 24 hours. My highest days stayed the same being Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays.

Profile views over last 7 days - no change

I expected this one to decrease, especially with less likelihood of getting on the explore page and less opportunity for my followers to share my posts. But it didn’t. I figured posting in your feed drives this number up but perhaps that isn’t always the case. In fact the only time I really see this number spike is when a post goes relatively viral, which actually happened in my last post of October.

My post got 50 + story shares, 434 people sent it via DM to their friends, 433 comments, 218 people saved the post, 2,611 liked it, it reached 18,035 people, and lead 6,503 people to my profile. On top of that, I gained 2,000 followers in 48 hours. View the post here.

1-3% engagement is normal and expected on Instagram with the current algorithm. Back when I started, 10-15% was normal.

Now, what constitutes a viral post is 9-10% engagement. My engagement on that post was over 10%. Clearly.
]]>Annie Millerclean045 | Money Mindset, Buying & Pricinghttps://anniemiller.co/045-money-mindset-buying-pricing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=045-money-mindset-buying-pricing
Tue, 12 Nov 2019 04:00:03 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4903Today I’m taking you through a few topics around money from a consumer and biz owner point of view.
We’ll cover:
Why we buyMoney mindset (something I’ll likely work on five ever)A pricing formula
Pricing is one of those things that seems so simple to me now, but I remember it being crippling so many times earlier on in biz.
Now I have a bit of a formula to follow. Formulas make things easy. They take the emotion AND your wallet out of the process.
Emotions aren’t bad. But they are also not how we choose what to charge for our services. They are however how we decide to PURCHASE a product or service.
In my mastermind we were discussing why people buy things. It’s multifaceted of course. Humans aren’t robots.
There’s always emotion involved. ESPECIALLY with what we’re likely talking about. Which is making an investment in ourselves and/or asking someone to invest in themselves via our offer.
People will buy from you because they are at point A and they believe you will get them point B. They feel that you will support them, or provide the map they’re looking for. They believe you’ll help them reach a new level of themselves. Or get them out of the hole they’re in now. Maybe it’s healing their relationship with food. They want to feel free from bondage and obsession. Maybe they just want more headspace. They don’t want the gym to cause more stress than it needs to.
Look at yourself, why do you buy things?
To feel good? Look the part of a certain status? To decrease worry? To improve yourself? Reach a new level? To support a local cause? To support the planet?
These are pretty *normal* reasons that people buy:
Get ResultsExpress a StatusConvenienceSelf ImprovementSocial/environmental mission
I pay to get my nails done because it makes me feel put together. Even when everything else is a shit show, it literally brings me joy to look down and see my fresh gel nails.
I pay coaches for two reasons: I want to feel less overwhelm, and get over my next hurdle. Whether that’s having more successful launches, or creating better systems, or figuring out how to hire someone so I can remain more in my zone of genius.
I pay for grass-fed meat because I have the money and because I value my health as well as the way the animals are raised. That’s more on the environmental side of things, right?
So, that’s all jus to say that a lot more goes into making a purchase than “wanting something, and then buying it.” Feelings drive most of our buying decisions.
And those decisions can be empowering or destructive. Buying things does not = making wise or massively expensive investments.
That’s where money mindset comes into play.
Let’s talk abundance vs scarcity mindset for a minute.
I did not grow up with money. My mom worked at Safeway and that was more-or-less our income for a four person household.
I remember delivering newspapers door to door and going with my mom to stock Little Debbie’s pastries on early weekend mornings. Okay?
So, were we impoverished? No. I had food and a roof over my head. But was money viewed as plentiful and overflowing in my home? Absolutely not.
Money to me was synonymous with stress.
We were never going to have enough and we would be restricted by it. That was my belief. I wasn’t going to have nice things. And I certainly wasn’t going to give it away if I had it.
I also learned very early to work hard. BUT that hard work did not equal more money. If you believe that hard work = money, let’s set that straight right now.
It’s false. There are plenty of hard working people in this world, and in America that do not make “good money.” Does that mean you shouldn’t work hard? No. That’s not my point. It’s simply that working hard does not equal more income. In fact the goal of en entrepreneur or my goal anyway has been to provide the same value, but work less. To become more efficient. That’s where I believe the money is.
Today I’m taking you through a few topics around money from a consumer and biz owner point of view. We’ll cover: Why we buyMoney mindset (something I’ll likely work on five ever)A pricing formula Pricing is one of those things that seems so si...

Today I’m taking you through a few topics around money from a consumer and biz owner point of view.

We’ll cover:

* Why we buy* Money mindset (something I’ll likely work on five ever)* A pricing formula

Pricing is one of those things that seems so simple to me now, but I remember it being crippling so many times earlier on in biz.

Now I have a bit of a formula to follow. Formulas make things easy. They take the emotion AND your wallet out of the process.

Emotions aren’t bad. But they are also not how we choose what to charge for our services. They are however how we decide to PURCHASE a product or service.

There’s always emotion involved. ESPECIALLY with what we’re likely talking about. Which is making an investment in ourselves and/or asking someone to invest in themselves via our offer.

People will buy from you because they are at point A and they believe you will get them point B. They feel that you will support them, or provide the map they’re looking for. They believe you’ll help them reach a new level of themselves. Or get them out of the hole they’re in now. Maybe it’s healing their relationship with food. They want to feel free from bondage and obsession. Maybe they just want more headspace. They don’t want the gym to cause more stress than it needs to.

Look at yourself, why do you buy things?

To feel good? Look the part of a certain status? To decrease worry? To improve yourself? Reach a new level? To support a local cause? To support the planet?

I pay to get my nails done because it makes me feel put together. Even when everything else is a shit show, it literally brings me joy to look down and see my fresh gel nails.

I pay coaches for two reasons: I want to feel less overwhelm, and get over my next hurdle. Whether that’s having more successful launches, or creating better systems, or figuring out how to hire someone so I can remain more in my zone of genius.

I pay for grass-fed meat because I have the money and because I value my health as well as the way the animals are raised. That’s more on the environmental side of things, right?

So, that’s all jus to say that a lot more goes into making a purchase than “wanting something, and then buying it.” Feelings drive most of our buying decisions.

And those decisions can be empowering or destructive. Buying things does not = making wise or massively expensive investments.

That’s where money mindset comes into play.

Let’s talk abundance vs scarcity mindset for a minute.

I did not grow up with money. My mom worked at Safeway and that was more-or-less our income for a four person household.

I remember delivering newspapers door to door and going with my mom to stock Little Debbie’s pastries on early weekend mornings. Okay?

So, were we impoverished? No. I had food and a roof over my head. But was money viewed as plentiful and overflowing in my home? Absolutely not.

Money to me was synonymous with stress.

We were never going to have enough and we would be restricted by it. That was my belief. I wasn’t going to have nice things.]]>Annie Millerclean044 | The 3 Biggest Health Factorshttps://anniemiller.co/044-the-3-biggest-health-factors/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=044-the-3-biggest-health-factors
Tue, 05 Nov 2019 01:00:25 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4874THREE FACTORS HAVING THE LARGEST EFFECT ON YOUR HEALTH.
I called this episode the 3 Biggest Health Factors because it could have been titled three factors affecting your health, affecting your training results, affecting your quality of life, your energy levels, your sleep, your hormones, or literally EVERY aspect of health and probably your LIFE.
So, I decided on The 3 Biggest Health Factors. It’s a weird title but it’s also the truth.
If you are measuring nothing in regards to your health now, or are only tracking your workouts, I am going to encourage you to start tracking at least one of these factors after this episode.
You know I like to give you actionable takeaways. I am here for the improvement of humans. Not to talk into a microphone under a freaking blanket just to hear my own voice.
Also, these are simple…you’ve likely heard them before. Please, do not dismiss them. Ask yourself how you are doing in each of these areas. It matters. And it makes a difference, like I said, all across all aspects of your health.
Okay, number one (these aren't in a specific order by the way…)
1: Sleep
Get your freaking sleep. You’ve heard you need 8-10 or 7-9 hours. Yes, science shows that generally, humans function optimally with somewhere between 7-10 hours of sleep. Science also shows that women typically require more sleep than men. Which I am all about because I LOVE sleep and definitely lean more towards that 10 hour mark.
I am all about making my waking hours more efficient so I can get the sleep I enjoy having.
BUT it’s not all about the duration of your sleep, rather your QUALITY of sleep. I am sure you have slept 8-10 hours before but you wake up five times during the night and feel restless. That is not the kind of 8-10 hours these sleep studies are suggesting.
I loved the way a professor of mine in college worded this. If you are sleeping 8 hours a night but you miss one hour every night of the week, you miss 7 total hours of sleep that week, nearly a full night of sleep. And if you’re like me, YOU FEEL THAT. Can you function? Absolutely. But will you possibly catch a cold, or be tired when 2-4pm hits? 100%.
This is also why I encourage you to track your sleep. Because reality is often different than our perception - when it comes to most things regarding our health.
Now, I understand some people do not have the luxury of getting 8-10 hours per night. But that doesn’t mean the effort to improve sleep quality or consistency should stop.
Really number two and and three affect your sleep as well. But we’ll get to that soon enough.
Start by tracking your sleep. You can do this manually if you like in a notebook or chart. But if you can afford it, there are watches like FitBits and Polar heart rate watches that will track your sleep duration and quality for you. I am sure there are probably apps now that track your sleep without any gadgets as well. Maybe not, but worth researching.
When you track things, you can improve them. What we measure we can manage, right?
So track your sleep, and look for ways you can get more or higher quality.
Since coming home from our world travels I have continued two things that we picked up while sleeping in establishments around the world: ear plugs and eye masks.
I shared the ear plugs we use on IG but maybe I can add them to my Amazon page as well for you guys. They are softer than the ones you’d use for shooting ranges and things of that sort. They’re less aggressive but work just as well.
What do ear plugs and eye masks do? Eliminate distractions for your body to be awakened by. Get you into a rhythm; into that deep sleep you want and need.
But do what works for you. Just know - sleep is your body’s time to recover on ALL physiological levels. So if your sleep is shit, so is your recovery, and likely your hormone function, immune system, and all of the things.
I will also say that some people really don’t require 7-10 hours...THREE FACTORS HAVING THE LARGEST EFFECT ON YOUR HEALTH. I called this episode the 3 Biggest Health Factors because it could have been titled three factors affecting your health, affecting your training results, affecting your quality of life,

THREE FACTORS HAVING THE LARGEST EFFECT ON YOUR HEALTH.

I called this episode the 3 Biggest Health Factors because it could have been titled three factors affecting your health, affecting your training results, affecting your quality of life, your energy levels, your sleep, your hormones, or literally EVERY aspect of health and probably your LIFE.

So, I decided on The 3 Biggest Health Factors. It’s a weird title but it’s also the truth.

If you are measuring nothing in regards to your health now, or are only tracking your workouts, I am going to encourage you to start tracking at least one of these factors after this episode.

You know I like to give you actionable takeaways. I am here for the improvement of humans. Not to talk into a microphone under a freaking blanket just to hear my own voice.

Also, these are simple…you’ve likely heard them before. Please, do not dismiss them. Ask yourself how you are doing in each of these areas. It matters. And it makes a difference, like I said, all across all aspects of your health.

Okay, number one (these aren't in a specific order by the way…)

1: Sleep

Get your freaking sleep. You’ve heard you need 8-10 or 7-9 hours. Yes, science shows that generally, humans function optimally with somewhere between 7-10 hours of sleep. Science also shows that women typically require more sleep than men. Which I am all about because I LOVE sleep and definitely lean more towards that 10 hour mark.

I am all about making my waking hours more efficient so I can get the sleep I enjoy having.

BUT it’s not all about the duration of your sleep, rather your QUALITY of sleep. I am sure you have slept 8-10 hours before but you wake up five times during the night and feel restless. That is not the kind of 8-10 hours these sleep studies are suggesting.

I loved the way a professor of mine in college worded this. If you are sleeping 8 hours a night but you miss one hour every night of the week, you miss 7 total hours of sleep that week, nearly a full night of sleep. And if you’re like me, YOU FEEL THAT. Can you function? Absolutely. But will you possibly catch a cold, or be tired when 2-4pm hits? 100%.

This is also why I encourage you to track your sleep. Because reality is often different than our perception - when it comes to most things regarding our health.

Now, I understand some people do not have the luxury of getting 8-10 hours per night. But that doesn’t mean the effort to improve sleep quality or consistency should stop.

Really number two and and three affect your sleep as well. But we’ll get to that soon enough.

Start by tracking your sleep. You can do this manually if you like in a notebook or chart. But if you can afford it, there are watches like FitBits and Polar heart rate watches that will track your sleep duration and quality for you. I am sure there are probably apps now that track your sleep without any gadgets as well. Maybe not, but worth researching.

When you track things, you can improve them. What we measure we can manage, right?

So track your sleep, and look for ways you can get more or higher quality.

Since coming home from our world travels I have continued two things that we picked up while sleeping in establishments around the world: ear plugs and eye masks.

I shared the ear plugs we use on IG but maybe I can add them to my Amazon page as well for you guys. They are softer than the ones you’d use for sh...]]>Annie Millerclean043 | Get Past Your Creative Content Block [5 tactics]https://anniemiller.co/043-get-past-your-creative-content-block-5-tactics/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=043-get-past-your-creative-content-block-5-tactics
Tue, 29 Oct 2019 04:00:19 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4872CURE FOR YOUR CONTENT RUT.
Sometimes creating content can seem bothersome, annoying and time consuming. Other times it’s super fun, you feel inspired and are filled with creative ideas.
This episode is moreso for the first situation. When you need some structure, someone to get you going as you stare at the wall, or blank piece of paper or empty notebook app.
I should preface this by saying if you don’t know your ideal client, you’re going to be shooting darts at a dartboard that’s 300 meters away with a blindfold on. Okay? You need to know who you’re speaking to before creating content...if you don’t want to waste your time that is.
So, you’re in a content rut or just feeling like you’ve created everything you can create (which we know is never the case), then read on!
This goes for blogs, emails, Instagram posts, YouTube videos, podcasts, literally any media you can create for an audience.
Start with a subject matter.
For me, I decide if it’s going to be fitness based, life based, travel based, or business based.
If you have categories you post in or use with your audience, this will be helpful. I go over all of that inside Instagram 101 and fitsPRO Foundations.
You’ve got your topic. Now give yourself some structure.
Choose an intro; your click bait:
3 ways or tips to ____ (build muscle, be more efficient in your workouts, recover effectively)How to:Choose locations for world travelUse lifting strapsStart building your email listCope with comparison online
Your "favorites."
My 5 favorite glute exercisesMy 3 go-to mantras
Then you have the secretive ones. Like:
The four things no one told you about being an entrepreneurThe worst cue you could ever useUnpopular opinion about _____
Whatever applies to your audience.
Now, I don’t use post topics like this all the time. But they can be helpful in getting the creative juices going whenever you’re in a content rut. Or even when short on time and need to bust something out really quick.
Having a headline like this allows you to build a skeleton to your content. You know what you’re laying out. Your three tips, or five fav exercises, or the worst cue and why it’s so terrible. Maybe you include what to say instead.
I hope you can see how this tactic can be helpful. Like I said, it gets you thinking in a creative manner but also in a very specific one. Which can be beneficial when creating content.
I’ve often ended up actually batching content when using this strategy because one idea leads to the next, and before you know it I have twenty post headlines and topics made. Much like you just heard me ramble them off.
Okay, moving on.
Poll your audience
This is one I use often. Hi, you’re creating content for them. You can ask them to vote in the comments. You can send email surveys, or submit ideas via instagram stories. You’ve got options. Use them.
Polling your audience is great for a few reasons. It gets you connected with your people. It allows you to see who is REALLY invested in the content you’re creating. Who are your die hards? This can also be encouraging when you’re feeling unmotivated. You’ll see that people WANT to hear from you and value what you bring to them on whatever platform it may be.
Even if two people respond, that STILL gives you data. Create something based on what those two blessed humans sent you! Or better yet, create more than one post around the topic.
This also gives you feedback as to what your ideal clients (or potential ideal clients) are wanting from you. What problems are they wanting answers to? What topics come up more than once? That’s great data for you moving forward with your content and even product creation.
Next up…
Repurpose old content
Thiiiiissss one is pure magic once you’ve been in the game for a minute. Look, not everyone in your gram fam or on your email list sees every post or reads every email.
And even if people saw it the first time,CURE FOR YOUR CONTENT RUT. Sometimes creating content can seem bothersome, annoying and time consuming. Other times it’s super fun, you feel inspired and are filled with creative ideas. This episode is moreso for the first situation.

CURE FOR YOUR CONTENT RUT.

Sometimes creating content can seem bothersome, annoying and time consuming. Other times it’s super fun, you feel inspired and are filled with creative ideas.

This episode is moreso for the first situation. When you need some structure, someone to get you going as you stare at the wall, or blank piece of paper or empty notebook app.

I should preface this by saying if you don’t know your ideal client, you’re going to be shooting darts at a dartboard that’s 300 meters away with a blindfold on. Okay? You need to know who you’re speaking to before creating content...if you don’t want to waste your time that is.

So, you’re in a content rut or just feeling like you’ve created everything you can create (which we know is never the case), then read on!

This goes for blogs, emails, Instagram posts, YouTube videos, podcasts, literally any media you can create for an audience.

Start with a subject matter.

For me, I decide if it’s going to be fitness based, life based, travel based, or business based.

* 3 ways or tips to ____ (build muscle, be more efficient in your workouts, recover effectively)* How to:* Choose locations for world travel* Use lifting straps* Start building your email list* Cope with comparison online

Your "favorites."

* My 5 favorite glute exercises* My 3 go-to mantras

Then you have the secretive ones. Like:

* The four things no one told you about being an entrepreneur* The worst cue you could ever use* Unpopular opinion about _____

Whatever applies to your audience.

Now, I don’t use post topics like this all the time. But they can be helpful in getting the creative juices going whenever you’re in a content rut. Or even when short on time and need to bust something out really quick.

Having a headline like this allows you to build a skeleton to your content. You know what you’re laying out. Your three tips, or five fav exercises, or the worst cue and why it’s so terrible. Maybe you include what to say instead.

I hope you can see how this tactic can be helpful. Like I said, it gets you thinking in a creative manner but also in a very specific one. Which can be beneficial when creating content.

I’ve often ended up actually batching content when using this strategy because one idea leads to the next, and before you know it I have twenty post headlines and topics made. Much like you just heard me ramble them off.

Okay, moving on.

Poll your audience

This is one I use often. Hi, you’re creating content for them. You can ask them to vote in the comments. You can send email surveys, or submit ideas via instagram stories. You’ve got options. Use them.

Polling your audience is great for a few reasons. It gets you connected with your people. It allows you to see who is REALLY invested in the content you’re creating. Who are your die hards? This can also be encouraging when you’re feeling unmotivated. You’ll see that people WANT to hear from you and value what you bring to them on wha...]]>Annie Millerclean042 | Travel Q&A [locations to logistics and more]https://anniemiller.co/042-travel-qa-locations-to-logistics-and-more/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=042-travel-qa-locations-to-logistics-and-more
Tue, 22 Oct 2019 04:00:53 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4867HOW TO TRAVEL THE WORLD - TIPS AND TRICKS.
Important things for travel prep, like travel insurance?
For travel prep I am going to say you have a few must need, or need to know items.
These include but are not limited to:
Travel insurance - we use World Nomads. Fun fact, we were exempt from needing insurance in 2018 because we were out of the country for the months that we did not have insurance. So, that was winning. Travel insurance does not count as normal medical insurance. Know that.
World nomads has a few options, we went with the highest option just to be safe. We were traveling with a drone, camera, lenses, two laptops and some valuables that we felt were worth having coverage for. Nate's wallet was stolen in our first location, Santiago, Chile, and we filed a claim and received $83 I believe it was. Yes, that was stressful, but it was nice to know that when we rented a vehicle, like in Europe for four weeks, we knew we had coverage. They also provide hotlines that you can contact in case of emergency or sickness that will lead you in the direction of English speaking doctors and facilities. Insurance is always for the peace of mind, right? Rarely need it, but sleep a little easier knowing you have it.
Next would be two V’s of international travel - vaccinations and Visas.
Vaccinations - You can look up what vaccinations are required and then suggested for the countries you are planning to visit on the cdc website. Then find a travel clinic near you or simply call your doctors office and they will lead you where you need to go, because it is likely that they do not provide these vaccinations.
Visas - The Miller’s had a rough go with visas on our first trip around the world. We misunderstood the rules for the European 90 day tourist visa and overstayed by 23 days. That was fun - I’ve mentioned it before, but we drove, took buses and had flights through 14 European countries so our passports looked like a hot mess and we were not asked about any of it or our timeline until we flew from Poland to Singapore. Plan was to finally leave Europe from the Helinski Airport in Finland. We had a 45 minute transfer and they held us at customs. We were clueless. Long story short, we thought Scotland broke up our 90 days and then restarted a new 90 days when we entered back into the European Union. But the rule is 90 days WITHIN 180 days. And we def stayed for four months in Europe. Oops. Because we weren’t coming back anytime soon, they gave us the stamp, let us go, and we sprinted to our gate.
When traveling from Philippines to Vietnam, waiting to board our plane, we were informed we needed a visa for Vietnam. Somehow in our planning we just didn’t see this. So, having lodging booked and an itinerary we needed to try and stick to, we hopped on the computer, missed our flight, expedited visas, booked a new flight for the next day and got a hotel room near the airport. It was a rush. But it all worked out. Just a few hundred dollars later.
Just do a google search fam. “do US citizens need a visa for _____" (enter desired country).
From there it can be tricky or super easy depending on the country. Some countries are visa upon arrival, other require more info + passport and a photo to be emailed etc. Just depends. Which is why I say the two V’s need to be addressed early on in your planning, VACCINATIONS AND VISAS.
Beyond insurance and the two v’s I would suggest having a credit card that will benefit you while traveling long term overseas. You don’t want to deal with foreign transaction fees or your bank blocking your card because you’re in Bangladesh. Plus you get all the points if you use a credit card.
We did annoying amounts of research before we left on round 1 and we love the Chase Sapphire. This also gave us the option of tacking on the Priority Pass which gets us into nearly all international lounges. Which fam….I cannot tell you how much lounges have changed my life.HOW TO TRAVEL THE WORLD - TIPS AND TRICKS. Important things for travel prep, like travel insurance? For travel prep I am going to say you have a few must need, or need to know items. These include but are not limited to:

HOW TO TRAVEL THE WORLD - TIPS AND TRICKS.

Important things for travel prep, like travel insurance?

For travel prep I am going to say you have a few must need, or need to know items.

These include but are not limited to:

Travel insurance - we use World Nomads. Fun fact, we were exempt from needing insurance in 2018 because we were out of the country for the months that we did not have insurance. So, that was winning. Travel insurance does not count as normal medical insurance. Know that.

World nomads has a few options, we went with the highest option just to be safe. We were traveling with a drone, camera, lenses, two laptops and some valuables that we felt were worth having coverage for. Nate's wallet was stolen in our first location, Santiago, Chile, and we filed a claim and received $83 I believe it was. Yes, that was stressful, but it was nice to know that when we rented a vehicle, like in Europe for four weeks, we knew we had coverage. They also provide hotlines that you can contact in case of emergency or sickness that will lead you in the direction of English speaking doctors and facilities. Insurance is always for the peace of mind, right? Rarely need it, but sleep a little easier knowing you have it.

Next would be two V’s of international travel - vaccinations and Visas.

Vaccinations - You can look up what vaccinations are required and then suggested for the countries you are planning to visit on the cdc website. Then find a travel clinic near you or simply call your doctors office and they will lead you where you need to go, because it is likely that they do not provide these vaccinations.

Visas - The Miller’s had a rough go with visas on our first trip around the world. We misunderstood the rules for the European 90 day tourist visa and overstayed by 23 days. That was fun - I’ve mentioned it before, but we drove, took buses and had flights through 14 European countries so our passports looked like a hot mess and we were not asked about any of it or our timeline until we flew from Poland to Singapore. Plan was to finally leave Europe from the Helinski Airport in Finland. We had a 45 minute transfer and they held us at customs. We were clueless. Long story short, we thought Scotland broke up our 90 days and then restarted a new 90 days when we entered back into the European Union. But the rule is 90 days WITHIN 180 days. And we def stayed for four months in Europe. Oops. Because we weren’t coming back anytime soon, they gave us the stamp, let us go, and we sprinted to our gate.

When traveling from Philippines to Vietnam, waiting to board our plane, we were informed we needed a visa for Vietnam. Somehow in our planning we just didn’t see this. So, having lodging booked and an itinerary we needed to try and stick to, we hopped on the computer, missed our flight, expedited visas, booked a new flight for the next day and got a hotel room near the airport. It was a rush. But it all worked out. Just a few hundred dollars later.

Just do a google search fam. “do US citizens need a visa for _____" (enter desired country).

From there it can be tricky or super easy depending on the country. Some countries are visa upon arrival, other require more info + passport and a photo to be emailed etc. Just depends. Which is why I say the two V’s need to be addressed early on in your planning, VACCINATIONS AND VISAS.

Beyond insurance and the two v’s I would suggest having a credit card that will benefit you while traveling long term overseas. You don’t want to deal with foreign transaction fees or your bank blocking your ca...]]>Annie Millerclean041 | Training & Programming Q&Ahttps://anniemiller.co/041-training-programming-qa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=041-training-programming-qa
Tue, 15 Oct 2019 04:00:48 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4865ALL THINGS Q&A FOR TRAINING AND PROGRAMMING.
Question 1:
What would you describe as “science based programming”? A lot of trainers prompt that now.
In short, to claim something is science based or evidence based, THERE NEEDS TO BE SIGNIFICANT SCIENCE BASED EVIDENCE TO BACK THE CLAIM.
There need to have been scientific studies performed, proving the tactic or method to be true or false. Ideally, there are several studies that back the claim.
I mean it’s 2000 freaking 19 and the other day I was reading an article in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (which I have access to through my NSCA membership) about leg and hip muscle activity during the back squat, Romanian deadlift and hip thrust. It found that the squats had significantly higher levels of quad activity because of the knee flexion and extension involved. And the hip thrust has the highest glute max activity. The Romanian deadlift had the highest hamstring activity.
We know this right?!
Those are claims we can say are science based, or evidence based training methods.
Example: You’re pairing hip thrusts and RDLs because you’re targeting the hamstrings and glutes. That would be evidence based training.
There are also methods I have to mention that may not have been tested and published in a scientific journal, but THEY WORK. And that’s that.
For instance, the heart rate or energy systems development used by Joel Jamieson. This is the type of conditioning I use with my clients and Built By Annie programming.
There are six different types of conditioning all based on targeting and increasing your body's energy system's thresholds in an a-lactic, anaerobic and aerobic. These methods have been effectively used and tested on athletes for YEARS. There is data to show for it. We can see heart rate variability improving, resting heart rates decreasing, thresholds increasing etc. BUT, I can’t say for sure if there are specified studies to support Joel’s specific methods.
If someone is claiming “science” or evidence based training methods, take responsibility and ask questions. Ask how it’s science based, ask what’s the science behind their method. Hopefully you can see it within their other content.
Also, the more science you read yourself, the more you’ll be able to piece things together and kind of start to see common trends within the science. Compound movements are efficient for working large amount of muscle groups and have a high metabolic demand. Hip thrusts work your glutes more than squats. You don’t have to pull maximal loads to retain strength and so on.
Question 2:
Mobility/accessory work. How do you choose certain movements? Is there a resource?
For mobility and accessory work, there are a few things that go into deciding that.
I typically go off three things: the main movement, the goal of that movement (get strong, build muscle, increase capacity), and the individual (if that is part of the equation). If individuality is not a part of the equation then I’ll go off of my knowledge and experience with the masses. Right? What do MOST people need? What will MOST people likely benefit from when it comes to mobility and accessory work.
First - the main movement of the day.
Then plug in mobility and accessory work accordingly. Generally speaking.
Say you have a squat day and back squat is the main lift. We know back squat is a knee dominant, lower body compound movement.
I tend towards strength and hypertrophy based accessory work for the lower body (glutes, hamstrings and quads). Make sure there is some single leg work in there - lunges, Cossacks, split squats, step ups.
You can also choose hip or knee dominant with the accessory work. All depends on the goals of the program. If you’re going hip dominant and hypertrophy then you’ll see hip thrusts and RDL work, and maybe some single leg hip thrusts or deep step ups or pull up machine step downs. By the way,ALL THINGS Q&A FOR TRAINING AND PROGRAMMING. Question 1: What would you describe as “science based programming”? A lot of trainers prompt that now. In short, to claim something is science based or evidence based,

ALL THINGS Q&A FOR TRAINING AND PROGRAMMING.

Question 1:

What would you describe as “science based programming”? A lot of trainers prompt that now.

In short, to claim something is science based or evidence based, THERE NEEDS TO BE SIGNIFICANT SCIENCE BASED EVIDENCE TO BACK THE CLAIM.

There need to have been scientific studies performed, proving the tactic or method to be true or false. Ideally, there are several studies that back the claim.

I mean it’s 2000 freaking 19 and the other day I was reading an article in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (which I have access to through my NSCA membership) about leg and hip muscle activity during the back squat, Romanian deadlift and hip thrust. It found that the squats had significantly higher levels of quad activity because of the knee flexion and extension involved. And the hip thrust has the highest glute max activity. The Romanian deadlift had the highest hamstring activity.

We know this right?!

Those are claims we can say are science based, or evidence based training methods.

Example: You’re pairing hip thrusts and RDLs because you’re targeting the hamstrings and glutes. That would be evidence based training.

There are also methods I have to mention that may not have been tested and published in a scientific journal, but THEY WORK. And that’s that.

For instance, the heart rate or energy systems development used by Joel Jamieson. This is the type of conditioning I use with my clients and Built By Annie programming.

There are six different types of conditioning all based on targeting and increasing your body's energy system's thresholds in an a-lactic, anaerobic and aerobic. These methods have been effectively used and tested on athletes for YEARS. There is data to show for it. We can see heart rate variability improving, resting heart rates decreasing, thresholds increasing etc. BUT, I can’t say for sure if there are specified studies to support Joel’s specific methods.

If someone is claiming “science” or evidence based training methods, take responsibility and ask questions. Ask how it’s science based, ask what’s the science behind their method. Hopefully you can see it within their other content.

Also, the more science you read yourself, the more you’ll be able to piece things together and kind of start to see common trends within the science. Compound movements are efficient for working large amount of muscle groups and have a high metabolic demand. Hip thrusts work your glutes more than squats. You don’t have to pull maximal loads to retain strength and so on.

Question 2:

Mobility/accessory work. How do you choose certain movements? Is there a resource?

For mobility and accessory work, there are a few things that go into deciding that.

I typically go off three things: the main movement, the goal of that movement (get strong, build muscle, increase capacity), and the individual (if that is part of the equation). If individuality is not a part of the equation then I’ll go off of my knowledge and experience with the masses. Right? What do MOST people need? What will MOST people likely benefit from when it comes to mobility and accessory work.

First - the main movement of the day.

Then plug in mobility and accessory work accordingly. Generally speaking.

Say you have a squat day and back squat is the main lift.]]>Annie Millerclean040 | How Clients Can Address + Work With Pain During A Lifthttps://anniemiller.co/040-how-clients-can-address-work-with-pain-during-a-lift/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=040-how-clients-can-address-work-with-pain-during-a-lift
Tue, 08 Oct 2019 01:00:21 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4631TEACHING CLIENTS TO ADJUST WHEN FEELING PAIN
Episode 40 came about after my experience at the Prehab 101 Seminar with Dr. Jacob Harden in Victoria B.C. Canada in September. If you're in the fitness space and don't follow him, I highly suggest you find him on the gram @dr.jacob.harden. And if you need CEU's for the NSCA or other organizations, his Prehab 101 course is approved - which is amazing.
Today’s episode addresses something has likely happened to everyone listening. If you lift weights, you have definitely had this happen on some level.
You’re working out and you experience pain.
That’s it.
You’re following your program as planned and you feel in a pinch in your shoulder or twinge in your back. So, what do you do? Go home? Move on to the next exercise? Modify? Push through the pain?
That, my friend, is what I am teaching you today.
This is not a gold standard, biblical approach or one size fits all system. But, it is what I do with my clients and is in line with what I have learned from professionals whom I hold in high regard.
So, here I am, sharing it with you.
Question 1: is the pain above a 5?
I work with my clients on a pain scale from 1-10.
It doesn’t start at 0 because 0 is no pain.
Now, 1 is barely any pain. Below 5 is tolerable.
10 is the worst pain you can imagine - think child birth without meds.
So, if a client’s pain is below a 5 (meaning it is tolerable), I am totally fine with them working through the lift.
If the pain exceeds a 5, they have some regressive options.
Option 1 is to reduce the load.
Client reduces the load. Then one of two things happens.
Either client's pain decreases or it doesn’t.
Based on that, they either complete sets at that weight, where pain is 5 or below (tolerable pain) or, if the pain didn’t go away, I’ll sometimes have them decrease again until we find a tolerable load.
BUT, we must also keep in mind that there is a goal of the movement we were doing, right? So if the goal was to work at an intensity of 85% effort on RDLs, heavily loading the hamstrings, but the client can only tolerate a load at 50% effort...then we enter waters where I alter tempo and maybe even exercise selection, which we’ll get into as well.
Soooo. We altered load by decreasing it.
Pain is tolerable, finish workout as planned, make record of weight and pain.
Lowered weight and pain didn’t change, now we use option 2.
And option 2 is decreasing the range of motion.
Can we do RDLs from a shorter range of motion with tolerable pain?
Yes? Great, work at that range of motion with a tolerable load. Record pain level and load.
No? The pain stays the same, above a 5?
Then we change exercise selection. That’s on the client if they have a comprehensive understanding of WHAT the given exercise was meant to do. I personally work with a lot of other professionals in the field so they may be able to make this adjustment themselves.
If it’s a 1:1 client, then we make that change together. My 1:1 and Built By Annie clients would be noting this in the True Coach. Which you can try via my link here.
Now, I ask 4 other determining questions of a client who has pain
Does the pain dissipate between sets? Does the pain get better with movement?Does the pain dissipate after the workout is complete? If so, when? If not, what is the pain score post liftIs the pain present the next day? If so, what level?
I don’t have this is a flow chart yet for clients, but plan to make one so they have a helpful visual.
I am a fan of empowering the client. And I also lean more toward pain as a sense, or a perception. It does not mean stop all movement.
If we can educate clients around their pain and help them feel safe, they are more likely to continue training and enjoy it.
That is not to say we are negligent and ignore pain. Not at all. But let’s not let it run our workouts or limit us in areas it doesn’t need to.
TEACHING CLIENTS TO ADJUST WHEN FEELING PAIN Episode 40 came about after my experience at the Prehab 101 Seminar with Dr. Jacob Harden in Victoria B.C. Canada in September. If you're in the fitness space and don't follow him,

TEACHING CLIENTS TO ADJUST WHEN FEELING PAIN

Episode 40 came about after my experience at the Prehab 101 Seminar with Dr. Jacob Harden in Victoria B.C. Canada in September. If you're in the fitness space and don't follow him, I highly suggest you find him on the gram @dr.jacob.harden. And if you need CEU's for the NSCA or other organizations, his Prehab 101 course is approved - which is amazing.

Today’s episode addresses something has likely happened to everyone listening. If you lift weights, you have definitely had this happen on some level.

You’re working out and you experience pain.

That’s it.

You’re following your program as planned and you feel in a pinch in your shoulder or twinge in your back. So, what do you do? Go home? Move on to the next exercise? Modify? Push through the pain?

That, my friend, is what I am teaching you today.

This is not a gold standard, biblical approach or one size fits all system. But, it is what I do with my clients and is in line with what I have learned from professionals whom I hold in high regard.

So, here I am, sharing it with you.

Question 1: is the pain above a 5?

I work with my clients on a pain scale from 1-10.

It doesn’t start at 0 because 0 is no pain.

Now, 1 is barely any pain. Below 5 is tolerable.

10 is the worst pain you can imagine - think child birth without meds.

So, if a client’s pain is below a 5 (meaning it is tolerable), I am totally fine with them working through the lift.

If the pain exceeds a 5, they have some regressive options.

Option 1 is to reduce the load.

Client reduces the load. Then one of two things happens.

Either client's pain decreases or it doesn’t.

Based on that, they either complete sets at that weight, where pain is 5 or below (tolerable pain) or, if the pain didn’t go away, I’ll sometimes have them decrease again until we find a tolerable load.

BUT, we must also keep in mind that there is a goal of the movement we were doing, right? So if the goal was to work at an intensity of 85% effort on RDLs, heavily loading the hamstrings, but the client can only tolerate a load at 50% effort...then we enter waters where I alter tempo and maybe even exercise selection, which we’ll get into as well.

Soooo. We altered load by decreasing it.

Pain is tolerable, finish workout as planned, make record of weight and pain.

Lowered weight and pain didn’t change, now we use option 2.

And option 2 is decreasing the range of motion.

Can we do RDLs from a shorter range of motion with tolerable pain?

Yes? Great, work at that range of motion with a tolerable load. Record pain level and load.

No? The pain stays the same, above a 5?

Then we change exercise selection. That’s on the client if they have a comprehensive understanding of WHAT the given exercise was meant to do. I personally work with a lot of other professionals in the field so they may be able to make this adjustment themselves.

If it’s a 1:1 client, then we make that change together. My 1:1 and Built By Annie clients would be noting this in the...]]>Annie Millerclean039 | How To Take Action On Your Dreamshttps://anniemiller.co/039-how-to-take-action-on-your-dreams/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=039-how-to-take-action-on-your-dreams
Tue, 01 Oct 2019 05:00:05 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4629YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON YOUR DREAM(S).
If imma be straight up with you, I get super irritated when people sit on their rear ends when they could be working towards their dreams.
As Rachel Hollis would say, I literally want to shake them until they get it, until they believe they are worth it.
I don’t need you to drop your whole life, and put all your eggs in your dream basket. Sometimes I think that’s what holds people back. Perhaps they think it has to be all or nothing. And it doesn’t.
Buuuuuttttt I do see a lot of humans making NO PROGRESS towards the actual life they want for themselves.
And I dislike that. If you’re in my fam, I want you to live out your highest purpose. Whatever that is. Whatever that looks like for you.
I want people to bet on themselves. Whether that’s with an actual monetary investment or just taking action with the belief that they CAN make it happen.
I have a notebook and a canvas in my office that both say “make it happen.”
That is the very phrase that got me through my first few years of biz and still gets me to take action through adversity today.
The simple believe that I can make it happen. That whatever “it” is, is in the cards for me.
But friend, you can’t make your dreams happen without ACTION.
I swear this episode isn’t just me complaining and expressing my irritation with people lack of dream chasing. Its intended to show you actual tools you can use to start taking steps towards that dream. To share tools to help you TAKE ACTION.
The first step for me is something I learned in The 4-Hour Workweek (by Tim Ferriss), one of my fav books. The purpose of this practice is to identify what’s holding you back, your road block. Once you identify it, you then need to take the power away from that "thing." (Whatever your road block may be).
NUMBER ONE
Ask the hard questions:
First: what’s the worst that can happen?Then: how might you come back from that?
This is not expecting failure, this is moving past and taking the weight off that fear of failure (whatever that is for you).
And I need you to go deep here, like think about the ACTUAL worst thing that could happen....
Okay?
Then, take a deep breath, and let that shit go.Hopefully you feel less bogged down and restricted by that weight.
I do want to mention that fear will be ever present when chasing dreams, but it doesn’t need to be the driver of your decision making.
Moving on.
NUMBER TWO
Work backward:
You don’t need to know all the details. This is not meant to overwhelm you. But you do need to start by asking yourself a few questions. What do you want? What’s the outcome you’re shooting for?
And this doesn’t even have to be starting a business. This is personal to you. That thing that keeps you up at night. That’s your dream, that’s what I’m talking about.
When I started my biz online, I knew the dream was to work from home, to roll out of bed without an alarm, and go about my day as I pleased. It wasn’t to get a barbell in every woman’s hand, or help people live their best life. That is 100% NOT what drove me to build this business.
I don’t actually know if I’ve ever talked about that before, or not in such a clear manner...
So yes, the human body and education are my passions. But, they are simply the means by which I achieved my BIG GOAL.
Only you know your goal, what IS YOUR goal?
For me it was literally to work online...
Soooooo now we work backward.
What might I do online?
Where can I build an audience? Because I will need clients, people will need to buy my services. But they won’t just do that without knowing me, right?
Great, so I need to be online SOMEWHERE.
Hello Instagram.
Now, already. ALREADY you are taking action towards your dream just by doing these exercises. CELEBRATE THAT! Celebrate that you are not just thinking about your dream. It’s not an unattainable fairy tale.YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON YOUR DREAM(S). If imma be straight up with you, I get super irritated when people sit on their rear ends when they could be working towards their dreams. As Rachel Hollis would say,

YOU NEED TO TAKE ACTION ON YOUR DREAM(S).

If imma be straight up with you, I get super irritated when people sit on their rear ends when they could be working towards their dreams.

As Rachel Hollis would say, I literally want to shake them until they get it, until they believe they are worth it.

I don’t need you to drop your whole life, and put all your eggs in your dream basket. Sometimes I think that’s what holds people back. Perhaps they think it has to be all or nothing. And it doesn’t.

Buuuuuttttt I do see a lot of humans making NO PROGRESS towards the actual life they want for themselves.

And I dislike that. If you’re in my fam, I want you to live out your highest purpose. Whatever that is. Whatever that looks like for you.

I want people to bet on themselves. Whether that’s with an actual monetary investment or just taking action with the belief that they CAN make it happen.

I have a notebook and a canvas in my office that both say “make it happen.”

That is the very phrase that got me through my first few years of biz and still gets me to take action through adversity today.

The simple believe that I can make it happen. That whatever “it” is, is in the cards for me.

But friend, you can’t make your dreams happen without ACTION.

I swear this episode isn’t just me complaining and expressing my irritation with people lack of dream chasing. Its intended to show you actual tools you can use to start taking steps towards that dream. To share tools to help you TAKE ACTION.

The first step for me is something I learned in The 4-Hour Workweek (by Tim Ferriss), one of my fav books. The purpose of this practice is to identify what’s holding you back, your road block. Once you identify it, you then need to take the power away from that "thing." (Whatever your road block may be).

NUMBER ONE

Ask the hard questions:

* First: what’s the worst that can happen?* Then: how might you come back from that?

This is not expecting failure, this is moving past and taking the weight off that fear of failure (whatever that is for you).

And I need you to go deep here, like think about the ACTUAL worst thing that could happen....

Okay?

Then, take a deep breath, and let that shit go.Hopefully you feel less bogged down and restricted by that weight.

I do want to mention that fear will be ever present when chasing dreams, but it doesn’t need to be the driver of your decision making.

Moving on.

NUMBER TWO

Work backward:

You don’t need to know all the details. This is not meant to overwhelm you. But you do need to start by asking yourself a few questions. What do you want? What’s the outcome you’re shooting for?

And this doesn’t even have to be starting a business. This is personal to you. That thing that keeps you up at night. That’s your dream, that’s what I’m talking about.

When I started my biz online, I knew the dream was to work from home, to roll out of bed without an alarm, and go about my day as I pleased. It wasn’t to get a barbell in every woman’s hand, or help people live their best life. That is 100% NOT what drove me to build this business.

I don’t actually know if I’ve ever talked about that before, or not in such a clear manner...

So yes,]]>Annie Millerclean038 | 3 Business Beliefs I Had When Starting Out & Disagree w/ Nowhttps://anniemiller.co/038-3-business-beliefs-i-had-when-starting-out-disagree-w-now/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=038-3-business-beliefs-i-had-when-starting-out-disagree-w-now
Tue, 24 Sep 2019 01:00:24 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=46263 things I used to believe about business
If you missed it, last week’s episode was the 5 things I used to believe about Fitness. So, I figured I would just continue that theme this week but with business.
I think as humans we should always be challenging our beliefs and philosophy whether in life, fitness or business. There are things that I believe to be true now, that in a few years I might disagree with or see through a different lens.
As far as business goes, this is more true than you know. The three things I believed you needed in order to be successful are more painful for me to reveal than the fitness side of things.
I can’t put my finger on why, but these are almost more embarrassing for me. But we’re here doin' the thing anyhow.
The three things I'm about to dive into are what I believed for probably the first two years of building my online business. They frustrated me to the depths of my soul and I also failed at all of them.
Here we go.
Number 1 - I thought your freebie was EVERYTHING
I spent so much time focusing on and trying to come up with a freebie before anything else.
But you know what the problem is with that?
And wait, I guess I should reiterate that there is no one size fits all for business. So maybe a freebie is what you need right now. But when I was starting out, it most definitely was not. And I don’t believe it to be of high importance when you’re starting out.
Stick with me.
If you have a small audience and no data from that audience, but your freebie is supposed to be of high value to your ideal client…how are you supposed to create the perfect freebie for humans you don’t even know yet? And after you create that freebie…what does the email sequence lead to? Right?
Because after all the point of a freebie is to get people’s emails, nurture that list, and then up-sell to whatever your service or product is.
Sooooo why would we create a freebie, that might not even in line with the eventual higher ticket offer? Or might not even REALLY be what the ideal client is looking for?
You get what I am saying and how that can be a bit backwards?
I want you to grasp that I am not saying you DON’T EVER need a freebie or that freebies are not valuable. They are. You will need one. But I believe it is not the best use of your time or energy when just starting out.
If you missed it, I did an episode on building your offer pyramid and you’ll find in that episode that your freebie is in fact last on the list. The comes after you’ve gotten people results, received feedback and testimonies, maybe created some content for those people and really figured out what they would be willing to give you their email for.
Listen to episode 32 here
That’s belief number one - thinking freebie is everything and that my business would depend on it. That is #FALSE. I am just now, in year 5 of my business, developing my freebies and aligning my offers so that I can sell more passively through email.
Let’s move on to NUMBER 2
Oh man. Number two is still kind of embarrassing for me. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t figured it out yet and am aware of how beneficial they could be for my business. But I also just hate this platform, so it puts a bad taste in my mouth too.
Number 2 - Facebook ads are a necessity
When I was starting out, everyone and their mom was using Facebook ads. And so I did too. But I wasted money and time stressing over how to create these ads for a freaking 20 day challenge that was barely making me money in the first place.
This is where I REALLY stress to my fitsPRO Biz Clients that ESPECIALLY when you’re starting out, you need to stick to organic growth via ONE SOCIAL media platform. Nurture the shit out of that audience with free content, be consistent, and learn to sell.
THEN you can hire someone for paid advertising or if it’s within your wheelhouse you can do it yourself.
It is also ideal to have a freebie or webinar that peopl...3 things I used to believe about business If you missed it, last week’s episode was the 5 things I used to believe about Fitness. So, I figured I would just continue that theme this week but with business.

3 things I used to believe about business

If you missed it, last week’s episode was the 5 things I used to believe about Fitness. So, I figured I would just continue that theme this week but with business.

I think as humans we should always be challenging our beliefs and philosophy whether in life, fitness or business. There are things that I believe to be true now, that in a few years I might disagree with or see through a different lens.

As far as business goes, this is more true than you know. The three things I believed you needed in order to be successful are more painful for me to reveal than the fitness side of things.

I can’t put my finger on why, but these are almost more embarrassing for me. But we’re here doin' the thing anyhow.

The three things I'm about to dive into are what I believed for probably the first two years of building my online business. They frustrated me to the depths of my soul and I also failed at all of them.

Here we go.

Number 1 - I thought your freebie was EVERYTHING

I spent so much time focusing on and trying to come up with a freebie before anything else.

But you know what the problem is with that?

And wait, I guess I should reiterate that there is no one size fits all for business. So maybe a freebie is what you need right now. But when I was starting out, it most definitely was not. And I don’t believe it to be of high importance when you’re starting out.

Stick with me.

If you have a small audience and no data from that audience, but your freebie is supposed to be of high value to your ideal client…how are you supposed to create the perfect freebie for humans you don’t even know yet? And after you create that freebie…what does the email sequence lead to? Right?

Because after all the point of a freebie is to get people’s emails, nurture that list, and then up-sell to whatever your service or product is.

Sooooo why would we create a freebie, that might not even in line with the eventual higher ticket offer? Or might not even REALLY be what the ideal client is looking for?

You get what I am saying and how that can be a bit backwards?

I want you to grasp that I am not saying you DON’T EVER need a freebie or that freebies are not valuable. They are. You will need one. But I believe it is not the best use of your time or energy when just starting out.

If you missed it, I did an episode on building your offer pyramid and you’ll find in that episode that your freebie is in fact last on the list. The comes after you’ve gotten people results, received feedback and testimonies, maybe created some content for those people and really figured out what they would be willing to give you their email for.

That’s belief number one - thinking freebie is everything and that my business would depend on it. That is #FALSE. I am just now, in year 5 of my business, developing my freebies and aligning my offers so that I can sell more passively through email.

Let’s move on to NUMBER 2

Oh man. Number two is still kind of embarrassing for me. Perhaps it’s because I haven’t figured it out yet and am aware of how beneficial they could be for my business. But I also just hate this platform,]]>Annie Millerclean037 | 5 Fitness Beliefs I Used To Have & Disagree w/ Nowhttps://anniemiller.co/037-5-fitness-beliefs-i-used-to-have-disagree-w-now/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=037-5-fitness-beliefs-i-used-to-have-disagree-w-now
Tue, 17 Sep 2019 01:00:32 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=46235 things I used to believe about fitness
I feel like today’s episode is one that I could do every three to five years. I say that because the field of health and fitness changes SO FAST.
There are always new trends, and new info about old trends. So for now, I believe what I believe, but I am sure some of that will change in the future as I learn more and challenge my current beliefs. On that note, if you’re a coach and you don’t question your beliefs, I encourage you to do so. It will make you a better coach for sure.
Alright, let’s get into number 1 of 5 - things I used to believe in fitness.
Number 1 has to do with cardio. And I bet you believed this too or maybe you still do believe it.
Either way...
Number 1 - Cardio ruins your muscle gains and is how you get skinny/lose fat
I used to think that if you did long steady state cardio, it would eat your muscle, or you wouldn’t be able to build muscle.
It was my theory that you would be building type b slow twitch muscle fiber types, which would impede on all your work in the gym building more type x fast twitch muscle fibers. I didn’t think you could do both.
I was fine with lifting in combination with high intensity explosive mediums of cardio but never long steady state cardio.
This was really until four or five years ago when CrossFit came about. I began questioning my own philosophy. These humans were lifting ALL OF THE WEIGHT and also running miles. And they most definitely weren’t losing their muscle or their strength gains.
I began to dig deeper into the physiology and found that you can in fact make strength gains and do long term steady state low intensity cardio. It’s really more about the goals of the trainee, use of time, and fuel intake when it comes to keeping those gains.
That kind of leads into the similar belief that cardio was only for fat loss or to get skinny.
This belief was largely influenced by the industry as a whole.
Once I found energy systems development and heart rate training my view of “cardio” was forever changed.
As far as fat burning or weight loss goes, you can do cardio simply to increase your caloric deficit. That’s about it.
My current beliefs about cardio are far more complex. I don’t even call it cardio. If I have clients do “cardio,” it’s based on heart rate and recovery. And it’s largely to improve overall aerobic or anaerobic capacity.
Or, if people enjoy cardio like running or boxing or cycling, great, do it. If you want strength and muscle gains, make sure you’re eating accordingly. I work alongside working against gravity and have a link for my clients to use if they are seeking nutritional coaching.
Moving on to number 2.
Number 2 - One Size Fits all Form (aka what led to my disc injury)
Having the mentality that 👉🏽 “One size fits all form” is exactly what led to my disc injury. The particular belief was about form was that your toes must be straight forward on squats, and you must squat ass to grass. It’s not Kelly Starrett's fault. I was a young strength coach and had a very black and white belief system within movement. I likely took what the experts said as PURE GOLD and didn’t question it.
On a personal level that lead to squatting with a narrow stance, toes forward, knees out THE FURTHEST, ass to grass regardless of what my pelvic awareness or mobility allowed.
I don’t suggest this methodology.
It wasn’t just squats. I believed in perfect movement patterns and all humans needing to strive for the SAME movement patterns.
Needless to say I do not believe that now. In fact my injury was what really opened my eyes to this new, more open, less black and white beliefs around movement.
My standards for movement patterns are now much more based around what is comfortable for the trainee + making sure the basic mechanics are in place.
Let’s make sure mobility is up to par, bracing and foot contact is understood.5 things I used to believe about fitness I feel like today’s episode is one that I could do every three to five years. I say that because the field of health and fitness changes SO FAST. There are always new trends,

5 things I used to believe about fitness

I feel like today’s episode is one that I could do every three to five years. I say that because the field of health and fitness changes SO FAST.

There are always new trends, and new info about old trends. So for now, I believe what I believe, but I am sure some of that will change in the future as I learn more and challenge my current beliefs. On that note, if you’re a coach and you don’t question your beliefs, I encourage you to do so. It will make you a better coach for sure.

Alright, let’s get into number 1 of 5 - things I used to believe in fitness.

Number 1 has to do with cardio. And I bet you believed this too or maybe you still do believe it.

Either way...

Number 1 - Cardio ruins your muscle gains and is how you get skinny/lose fat

I used to think that if you did long steady state cardio, it would eat your muscle, or you wouldn’t be able to build muscle.

It was my theory that you would be building type b slow twitch muscle fiber types, which would impede on all your work in the gym building more type x fast twitch muscle fibers. I didn’t think you could do both.

I was fine with lifting in combination with high intensity explosive mediums of cardio but never long steady state cardio.

This was really until four or five years ago when CrossFit came about. I began questioning my own philosophy. These humans were lifting ALL OF THE WEIGHT and also running miles. And they most definitely weren’t losing their muscle or their strength gains.

I began to dig deeper into the physiology and found that you can in fact make strength gains and do long term steady state low intensity cardio. It’s really more about the goals of the trainee, use of time, and fuel intake when it comes to keeping those gains.

That kind of leads into the similar belief that cardio was only for fat loss or to get skinny.

This belief was largely influenced by the industry as a whole.

Once I found energy systems development and heart rate training my view of “cardio” was forever changed.

As far as fat burning or weight loss goes, you can do cardio simply to increase your caloric deficit. That’s about it.

My current beliefs about cardio are far more complex. I don’t even call it cardio. If I have clients do “cardio,” it’s based on heart rate and recovery. And it’s largely to improve overall aerobic or anaerobic capacity.

Or, if people enjoy cardio like running or boxing or cycling, great, do it. If you want strength and muscle gains, make sure you’re eating accordingly. I work alongside working against gravity and have a link for my clients to use if they are seeking nutritional coaching.

Moving on to number 2.

Number 2 - One Size Fits all Form (aka what led to my disc injury)

Having the mentality that “One size fits all form” is exactly what led to my disc injury. The particular belief was about form was that your toes must be straight forward on squats, and you must squat ass to grass. It’s not Kelly Starrett's fault. I was a young strength coach and had a very black and white belief system within movement. I likely took what the experts said as PURE GOLD and didn’t question it.

On a personal level that lead to squatting with a narrow stance, toes forward, knees out THE FURTHEST, ass to grass regardless of what my pelvic awareness or mobility allowed.

I don’t suggest this methodology.]]>Annie Millerclean036 | Early Stage of Belief in Life and Traininghttps://anniemiller.co/036-early-stage-of-belief-in-life-and-training/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=036-early-stage-of-belief-in-life-and-training
Tue, 10 Sep 2019 01:00:45 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4618Stages of belief in life and training
This episode on belief and philosophy is for all the humans in any area of life.
Nate and I had been talking about this phenomenon in religion and then I started to see it happening among professionals in the health and wellness field.
So, I figured it would be worth bringing up here, on the podcast.
That is, that there are stages to building your philosophy around things you value in life. Whether it be your profession or your belief system.
I don’t have all these stages mapped out and maybe there are ACTUAL stages within psychology that I just have zero knowledge of.
This is highly likely.
Nonetheless, I am covering belief system and profession because that is where I see it and have experienced it most prominently.
It all started with Nate and I observing young believers (Christians). There seems to be this trend, and there certainly was for both of us, where you go hard in the paint.
the black and white stage
Your beliefs are based in a black and white thinking process. Everything is right or wrong, there is no grey, everyone must love Jesus or they are condemned to hell and alcohol is from the devil, right?
Well, as time goes on, and one gains a little more life experience, has some conflicting conversations, perhaps some struggles of their own, that black and white thinking tends to fade
Again, this is our experience and something we have witness enough to notice a common trend. It is certainly not everyone’s story and it would be ignorant to think so.
So we have this transition from black and white, extreme sort of legalism into a more…mature state, if you will.
Establishing your non-negotiable beliefs
You now have your non-negotiables - your beliefs that you stand firm with. But everything outside of that is not a deal breaker for you. right? Like my faith doesn’t rest on whether or not Noahs’s ark actually happened, okay?
Perhaps you used to view a pastor having a beer as sinful and you judged him for it, or you thought all gay people were condemned to hell.
And now you have a beer with that pastor and realize that people of homosexual orientation can in fact love Jesus too.
So, this is not a talk about Jesus, I promise. But it is to demonstrate that youthfulness in a belief system or values system to perhaps a more mature state within that same belief system.
And I point it out because I think it is necessary. That’s to say I think that EXTREME phase is necessary for those finding their path in beliefs, whatever they may be or their career path if they hope to be an expert.
This is kind of the transition into how I’ve seen this play out in the world of health and fitness or strength and conditioning.
I was the BIGGEST example of this in my early years as a strength coach. And to be fair I tend towards black and white thinking anyway, so I fall into this phenomenon to tenth degree. To be honest world travel has helped a lot with that. I would say I see a lot more grey these days.
Belief in Health and fitness
I know you’ve seen this...
The newer coach, maybe they are still in school, and they have VERY STRONG opinions about everything.
>> There is one way to squat, or foam rolling is 100% a complete waste of time, or there’s absolutely no need for upright rows, that’s a compromised position for the shoulder. Whatever it may be.
And if you read my foam rolling post and thought I was saying it’s a complete and utter waste of time, you didn’t read all my words, you saw what you wanted to see.
Now, I believe this extreme stage is necessary for young coaches.
Why?
Because they are simply trying to form their philosophy right? They (maybe you) are trying to build SOME KIND of foundation to their thoughts and beliefs around training and programming.
That means they have to stand for something or they will stand for nothing.
This allows them, over time,Stages of belief in life and training This episode on belief and philosophy is for all the humans in any area of life. Nate and I had been talking about this phenomenon in religion and then I started to see it happening among professionals in the...

Stages of belief in life and training

This episode on belief and philosophy is for all the humans in any area of life.

Nate and I had been talking about this phenomenon in religion and then I started to see it happening among professionals in the health and wellness field.

So, I figured it would be worth bringing up here, on the podcast.

That is, that there are stages to building your philosophy around things you value in life. Whether it be your profession or your belief system.

I don’t have all these stages mapped out and maybe there are ACTUAL stages within psychology that I just have zero knowledge of.

This is highly likely.

Nonetheless, I am covering belief system and profession because that is where I see it and have experienced it most prominently.

It all started with Nate and I observing young believers (Christians). There seems to be this trend, and there certainly was for both of us, where you go hard in the paint.

the black and white stage

Your beliefs are based in a black and white thinking process. Everything is right or wrong, there is no grey, everyone must love Jesus or they are condemned to hell and alcohol is from the devil, right?

Well, as time goes on, and one gains a little more life experience, has some conflicting conversations, perhaps some struggles of their own, that black and white thinking tends to fade

Again, this is our experience and something we have witness enough to notice a common trend. It is certainly not everyone’s story and it would be ignorant to think so.

So we have this transition from black and white, extreme sort of legalism into a more…mature state, if you will.

Establishing your non-negotiable beliefs

You now have your non-negotiables - your beliefs that you stand firm with. But everything outside of that is not a deal breaker for you. right? Like my faith doesn’t rest on whether or not Noahs’s ark actually happened, okay?

Perhaps you used to view a pastor having a beer as sinful and you judged him for it, or you thought all gay people were condemned to hell.

And now you have a beer with that pastor and realize that people of homosexual orientation can in fact love Jesus too.

So, this is not a talk about Jesus, I promise. But it is to demonstrate that youthfulness in a belief system or values system to perhaps a more mature state within that same belief system.

And I point it out because I think it is necessary. That’s to say I think that EXTREME phase is necessary for those finding their path in beliefs, whatever they may be or their career path if they hope to be an expert.

This is kind of the transition into how I’ve seen this play out in the world of health and fitness or strength and conditioning.

I was the BIGGEST example of this in my early years as a strength coach. And to be fair I tend towards black and white thinking anyway, so I fall into this phenomenon to tenth degree. To be honest world travel has helped a lot with that. I would say I see a lot more grey these days.

Belief in Health and fitness

I know you’ve seen this...

The newer coach, maybe they are still in school, and they have VERY STRONG opinions about everything.

>> There is one way to squat, or foam rolling is 100% a complete waste of time, or there’s absolutely no need for upright rows,]]>Annie Millerclean035 | 3 Biggest Launch Takeaways from 2019https://anniemiller.co/035-3-biggest-launch-takeaways-from-2019/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=035-3-biggest-launch-takeaways-from-2019
Tue, 03 Sep 2019 13:00:35 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4615Biggest Launch Takeaways of 2019
If you want to understand where I was with my knowledge of business when I started out, this should make it pretty clear...
I bought B school by Marie Forleo in 2016. When we got to the marketing section, I skipped most of it because it was terrifying and I had nothing to market yet.
When she mentioned launching, I didn’t even know what a “launch” was. I had no real mailing list or audience and my Idea of a launch was just saying “hi guys, buy my training” followed by waiting for all the humans to sign up.
As you can imagine, that was an epic failure. There were so many factors at play here. It was not the fault of B school.
A large portion of it was really just a pure lack of experience.
Luckily, if you keep going with this entrepreneur deal, you certainly gain experience.
Since 2016 I have launched
20 day challengeFree prelude to 20 day challenge (when I thought I needed a funnel and was doing it all wrong).6 week transformations (when I hadn’t taken the time to really get clear on my ideal client and the type of service I wanted to offer).A pull up guideFree challengesBuilt By Annie round 1Movement 101A relaunch of Built By Annie with 3 new programsBody weight for weight liftersBiz Talk Power HoursFitsPRO FoundationsInstagram 101Recent promo for Built By AnnieAnd the Big Lift Audit
That’s 15 launches okay?
That’s A LOT of failing and learning with some succeeding intertwined.
2018 and 2019 are when I started to really get a system for launching. To develop a launch map.
I took a launch mastermind as well. Which I don’t think was innately worth the value, but I think you get out what you put in so in that sense it lead to success.
So, today we’re diving Into my biggest takeaways from launching in 2019.
Track your launch numbers
Number 1 - launching is a time to study.
Studying my launches has helped take away from the connection between my launch being success and my value as a human or professional. Launches are for learning.
Now, this will be harder if you’re on the side hustle life. You likely won’t have time for this. But if you can, tracking your numbers is so powerful and empowering in my experience. That’s coming from a person who likes numbers.
To give you an idea of what I’m talking about,
I track:
Email opens and click throughs throughout the launchMain sales page visitsCheckout page visitsEnrollments.
Super simple. Not extensive.
What this does is two things:
It gives me feedback and shows me trends - Which emails did the best Which emails did poorly? What percentage are clicking through to the checkout page from the sales page?
And on top of that, it was so encouraging to me to track sales page visits BECAUSE...
When you’re launching and sending emails and posting on the gram or getting in your stories, but no one is purchasing or letting you know they are interested, it’s easy to think NO ONE is interested or visiting your site.
But THEY ARE. I almost guarantee they are! Remember people need to see things far more than one time before they make a purchase. Especially for a larger investment. Right?
A great example of the difference here is my FitsPRO foundations launches vs my recent big lift audit launch. With FitsPRO it takes more momentum through out the launch to get people to feel confident investing.
With the $21 launch of the big lift audit, we had people purchasing on the daily anytime I mentioned it because it’s only $21. That takes far less convincing. And there is far less risk involved. So those launch patterns will differ.
Either way, track your numbers related to your launch if you can. It gives you data which makes your life easier next time, and it allows you to see that there are cold and warm leads, you just can’t see them without tracking it.
Create your launch map
Number 2 was really sitting down and Taking the time to map it out.
Again, this takes TIME.Biggest Launch Takeaways of 2019 If you want to understand where I was with my knowledge of business when I started out, this should make it pretty clear... I bought B school by Marie Forleo in 2016. When we got to the marketing section,

Biggest Launch Takeaways of 2019

If you want to understand where I was with my knowledge of business when I started out, this should make it pretty clear...

I bought B school by Marie Forleo in 2016. When we got to the marketing section, I skipped most of it because it was terrifying and I had nothing to market yet.

When she mentioned launching, I didn’t even know what a “launch” was. I had no real mailing list or audience and my Idea of a launch was just saying “hi guys, buy my training” followed by waiting for all the humans to sign up.

As you can imagine, that was an epic failure. There were so many factors at play here. It was not the fault of B school.

A large portion of it was really just a pure lack of experience.

Luckily, if you keep going with this entrepreneur deal, you certainly gain experience.

Studying my launches has helped take away from the connection between my launch being success and my value as a human or professional. Launches are for learning.

Now, this will be harder if you’re on the side hustle life. You likely won’t have time for this. But if you can, tracking your numbers is so powerful and empowering in my experience. That’s coming from a person who likes numbers.

It gives me feedback and shows me trends - Which emails did the best Which emails did poorly? What percentage are clicking through to the checkout page from the sales page?

And on top of that, it was so encouraging to me to track sales page visits BECAUSE...

When you’re launching and sending emails and post...]]>Annie Millerclean033 | Refer Out + Stay In Your Own Lanehttps://anniemiller.co/refer-out-stay-in-your-own-lane/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=refer-out-stay-in-your-own-lane
Tue, 20 Aug 2019 01:30:34 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4607Fact: You need to refer out and stay in your own lane
So today’s podcast is really about something I was terrified to do for years in this industry.
I was functioning out of a scarcity mindset in regards to this and it was doing a disservice to my clients and really, to myself because I wasn’t happy and it didn’t feel good.
It was a lose-lose for everyone involved.
I also want to share some experiences that have happened since my mindset shift around this subject. Because it really is a win-win now, for the potential client, myself and other professionals.
What I am talking about is staying in your own lane and referring clients or potential client out when they aren’t a good a fit for you or they are out of your wheelhouse.
Now, we can’t really start this conversation without defining what is in fact INSIDE your wheelhouse right?
And I am talking in a sense of what you LIKE TO DO + what your expertise is. Not just what your professional scope of practice is.
We don’t want personal trainers pretending they are doctors or a weekend certification warrior playing the part of a registered dietitian. Just as we don’t want a registered dietitian who lifts at the local LA fitness playing strength coach for their clients. I certainly hope we are all on the same page there.
On that same note, we just don’t want to work with people who aren’t our ideal client. That’s a lose-lose. They will be unsatisfied and you’ll resent the client because you won’t enjoy working with them. We don’t want that.
Soooo, you need to define a few boundaries that you stay within. What is in your lane, and what is outside of your lane?
Define your lane
For me, I don’t diagnose, or make those claims. I certainly work with clients who have injuries or get injuries but I am not the person who diagnoses that, and when I feel something is outside of my scope, I say “go to the mayo clinic,” or “we’re going to stick with x exercises until you can see a doc.”
I also don’t do nutrition coaching - I stopped doing that years ago because of two things - I didn’t feel educated enough in that area to adequately and confidently be telling someone what they should put in their body or if intermittent fasting is going to be best for them, or counting macros, or high carb or low carb. Yes, I had a basic understanding of nutrition and I could get people to lose fat in 20 days. That did not qualify me to be a nutrition coach, not in my professional opinion.
The second reason is that I genuinely do not enjoy learning about or teaching on nutrition. It just doesn’t light me up. I tried to force it for years and I just don’t care haha. It’s not for me.
I eat intuitively, focus on protein, carbs and water intake, I stop eating a cookie after every dinner if I see that I am getting into a sugary filled evening routine, and that’s about it. I eat to feel good in the gym and I like beer, right? That’s where it ends for me. That doesn’t mean my clients don’t want nutrition guidance, that just means I am not the person to provide it.
And that my friend, is where the mindset shift comes in.
Owning your expertise, defining your lane, and referring out for anything that is not within your wheelhouse.
You know what happens when you commit to this mindset?
You literally create a higher level of trust with that client or potential client.
Because when you refer out, that shows them in the most direct way possible that you have THEIR best interest in mind.
how I refer out
I said no to three people last round of FitsPRO Foundations because my program was honestly not a good fit for them. But I referred one to Rachel Turner, another biz coach I know because I think that would be the best fit for her.
She joined her Brave Biz School, Rachel and I have a great a relationship, the client is happy and we are both happy. It’s a win-win-win. And now that follower of mine sticks around and probs speaks highly of me because I showed...Fact: You need to refer out and stay in your own lane So today’s podcast is really about something I was terrified to do for years in this industry. I was functioning out of a scarcity mindset in regards to this and it was doing a disservice to m...

Fact: You need to refer out and stay in your own lane

So today’s podcast is really about something I was terrified to do for years in this industry.

I was functioning out of a scarcity mindset in regards to this and it was doing a disservice to my clients and really, to myself because I wasn’t happy and it didn’t feel good.

It was a lose-lose for everyone involved.

I also want to share some experiences that have happened since my mindset shift around this subject. Because it really is a win-win now, for the potential client, myself and other professionals.

What I am talking about is staying in your own lane and referring clients or potential client out when they aren’t a good a fit for you or they are out of your wheelhouse.

Now, we can’t really start this conversation without defining what is in fact INSIDE your wheelhouse right?

And I am talking in a sense of what you LIKE TO DO + what your expertise is. Not just what your professional scope of practice is.

We don’t want personal trainers pretending they are doctors or a weekend certification warrior playing the part of a registered dietitian. Just as we don’t want a registered dietitian who lifts at the local LA fitness playing strength coach for their clients. I certainly hope we are all on the same page there.

On that same note, we just don’t want to work with people who aren’t our ideal client. That’s a lose-lose. They will be unsatisfied and you’ll resent the client because you won’t enjoy working with them. We don’t want that.

Soooo, you need to define a few boundaries that you stay within. What is in your lane, and what is outside of your lane?

Define your lane

For me, I don’t diagnose, or make those claims. I certainly work with clients who have injuries or get injuries but I am not the person who diagnoses that, and when I feel something is outside of my scope, I say “go to the mayo clinic,” or “we’re going to stick with x exercises until you can see a doc.”

I also don’t do nutrition coaching - I stopped doing that years ago because of two things - I didn’t feel educated enough in that area to adequately and confidently be telling someone what they should put in their body or if intermittent fasting is going to be best for them, or counting macros, or high carb or low carb. Yes, I had a basic understanding of nutrition and I could get people to lose fat in 20 days. That did not qualify me to be a nutrition coach, not in my professional opinion.

The second reason is that I genuinely do not enjoy learning about or teaching on nutrition. It just doesn’t light me up. I tried to force it for years and I just don’t care haha. It’s not for me.

I eat intuitively, focus on protein, carbs and water intake, I stop eating a cookie after every dinner if I see that I am getting into a sugary filled evening routine, and that’s about it. I eat to feel good in the gym and I like beer, right? That’s where it ends for me. That doesn’t mean my clients don’t want nutrition guidance, that just means I am not the person to provide it.

And that my friend, is where the mindset shift comes in.

Owning your expertise, defining your lane, and referring out for anything that is not within your wheelhouse.

You know what happens when you commit to this mindset?

You literally create a higher level of trust with that client or potential client.

Because when you refer out, that shows them in the most direct way possible that yo...]]>Annie Millerclean032 | Building Your Offer Pyramidhttps://anniemiller.co/building-you-offer-pyramid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=building-you-offer-pyramid
Tue, 13 Aug 2019 01:31:57 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4606How to build you offer pyramid
Today I want talk about something that was a mistake for me in the beginning. And it is a mistake that I see a lot of online coaches make.
I think that they make this mistake because they see everyone else doing it, and they view those people as successful, so they copy what they are doing.
The issue that I’m talking about in today's episode is not paying attention to the order of their product creation, or services that they offer. And more often than not, creating too many products, or products that compete with one another. So, I have heard this referred to as your offer suit but I like to call it a PYRAMID. What does your company offer? What are your services?
I narrowed this issue down to the order in which you create your offers because I think there is a way to roll out and develop offers efficiently and A LOT of ways to do it inefficiently. From my observations in this field, and from my personal experience, the latter seems to be more popular.
Whether you have offers available right now or you are still in the dream phase, this is going to be a valuable podcast episode for you. You will either stop where you are and reevaluate what you’re doing, or you will start in a much better place then you might have otherwise.
Before we dive in I should tell you what the end goal of an offer suite or pyramid is for me and what I think does well in the health and fitness industry, in the online space that is.
When it is all said and done, it would look something like this:
Your offer pyramid
You have an opt-in of some kind. Some way for you to collect emails of potential clients in return for providing them with some sort of value. See episode #29 for how you can start building your email list.
You collect emails via your freebie or incentive to join a waitlist.
Then you have your low ticket offer - this can be used as incentive or a FREEBIE when someone pays in full for your high ticket offers. It can be used in bundles, and is great for sprint sales like Black Friday, or your birthday. This is a great way for cold leads to become warm leads and get a taste of what you have to offer them.
After low ticket, we have mid-ticket. This does not compete with your high ticket offer. That is a mistake I see all too often. It should be clearly different than your high ticket offer.
For example, I have Instagram 101 and Power hours as mid price products that can lead to or be bundled with my high ticket offer that is FitsPRO Foundations.
On the fitness side, I have a freebie which is my 3 Day Mobility and Core - which are pulled directly out of Built By Annie, this gets people on the Built By Annie waitlist.
Then I have my low ticket offer of the Big Lift Audit which can be used on sprint sales or sent out as a freebie when someone enrolls in BBA.
Next I have my mid-ticket price with lower commitment membership in Built By Annie (this is a highly automated year long membership but is not personalized) and then my high ticket, higher touch offer of 1:1 training.
You see the pyramid? >> freebie or low ticket offer to mid ticket offer to high ticket offer and then obviously each of those needs to be of value to your ideal client.
And you get to choose how you position those in your offer pyramid, how ofter you offer each, if they are always open, if you have an email sequence set up to drive up-sells from one offer to the next. ALL. OF. THE. POTENTIAL.
BUT…allow me to save you from trying to create all of that at once and making the mistakes I made early on, and the mistakes I see tons of professionals make to this day.
Let’s dive into HOW all of these offers come to be. It is not all at once, and it most certainly is not overnight.
HOW TO BUILD THE PYRAMID
So, this is the order in which I believe you should develop your offers coming from a health and fitness standpoint.
Please remember that you are free to do whatever you want and you ne...How to build you offer pyramid Today I want talk about something that was a mistake for me in the beginning. And it is a mistake that I see a lot of online coaches make. I think that they make this mistake because they see everyone else doing it,...

How to build you offer pyramid

Today I want talk about something that was a mistake for me in the beginning. And it is a mistake that I see a lot of online coaches make.

I think that they make this mistake because they see everyone else doing it, and they view those people as successful, so they copy what they are doing.

The issue that I’m talking about in today's episode is not paying attention to the order of their product creation, or services that they offer. And more often than not, creating too many products, or products that compete with one another. So, I have heard this referred to as your offer suit but I like to call it a PYRAMID. What does your company offer? What are your services?

I narrowed this issue down to the order in which you create your offers because I think there is a way to roll out and develop offers efficiently and A LOT of ways to do it inefficiently. From my observations in this field, and from my personal experience, the latter seems to be more popular.

Whether you have offers available right now or you are still in the dream phase, this is going to be a valuable podcast episode for you. You will either stop where you are and reevaluate what you’re doing, or you will start in a much better place then you might have otherwise.

Before we dive in I should tell you what the end goal of an offer suite or pyramid is for me and what I think does well in the health and fitness industry, in the online space that is.

Then you have your low ticket offer - this can be used as incentive or a FREEBIE when someone pays in full for your high ticket offers. It can be used in bundles, and is great for sprint sales like Black Friday, or your birthday. This is a great way for cold leads to become warm leads and get a taste of what you have to offer them.

After low ticket, we have mid-ticket. This does not compete with your high ticket offer. That is a mistake I see all too often. It should be clearly different than your high ticket offer.

On the fitness side, I have a freebie which is my 3 Day Mobility and Core - which are pulled directly out of Built By Annie, this gets people on the Built By Annie waitlist.

Then I have my low ticket offer of the Big Lift Audit which can be used on sprint sales or sent out as a freebie when someone enrolls in BBA.

Next I have my mid-ticket price with lower commitment membership in Built By Annie (this is a highly automated year long membership but is not personalized) and then my high ticket, higher touch offer of 1:1 training.

You see the pyramid?]]>Annie Millerclean030 | How I Chose Which Mastermind to Invest inhttps://anniemiller.co/030-how-i-chose-which-mastermind-to-invest-in/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=030-how-i-chose-which-mastermind-to-invest-in
Tue, 23 Jul 2019 01:00:44 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4595How I Chose What Mastermind To Invest In
Today’s episode is from my recent experience in choosing between two mastermind options.
I am a pretty intuitive person, and I’m also rather particular. I am a questionnaire, and it’s hard for me to trust people or things or products, but once I trust them I am extremely loyal.
That is just some background on me so you know who is behind this decision making process. You might be completely different, and I think it’s important for you to know what type of decision maker you are so that you can make the best decisions for yourself right?
There are three things I believe you need to consider FOR SURE when you're looking to join a mastermind, enroll in a course or hire a coach.
I go deep into each of these topics and why I chose which mastermind to ultimately invest in in today's episode.
Trust me, you want the full story on each of my options. It will NOT be a waste of your time. Learn from my experience friend, PUH-LEASE.
Here are my suggestions to you.
Non-negotiables
Have your non-negotiables laid out before you even start searching.
What are 2-3 things you NEED to have in this course, mastermind or coach for your business and life RIGHT NOW. Just because you love a coach, or the thought of a certain program, that DOES NOT mean it is a good fit right NOW. You will join many course and hire multiple coaches in your entrepreneurial journey. Be wise in which ones you invest in. Timing matters.
Once you have those laid out, you'll be less wooed by fancy sales pages and promises that don't ACTUALLY apply to what you NEED. You feel me?
is the value clear?
If you can't see the value, understand the promise, or see what it is that you're ACTUALLY getting out of this experience, for the love of all things holy run in the other direction.
In my opinion "value" can be both tactical strategies, workbooks, coaching calls, as well as EMOTIONAL value. Tell me what I will feel like at the end of this six weeks, or six months. Will I be less stressed? Have more space? Feel more aligned? Right? All of that is VALUE. But if those things aren't clearly laid out, PEACE SON. I'm out.
do you like them?
Straight up, you need to like the human running the show. For me personally, if I don't feel like I would willingly sit down and chat over a cup of coffee with the mastermind host, I am not signing up.
And I need to feel that it would be mutual. You should feel like the mastermind host is speaking DIRECTLY TO YOU & YOUR SOUL. If you feel that, then it is probably a good fit.
The key here is that ALL of these have to be in alignment. Investing in a mastermind, a course or a coach is a big deal. Let's be honest.
If you have your non-negotiables clearly laid out, you see the value and the value involves your non-negotiables, and you genuinely like the human, then it's probs a HELL YES.
But if one of those is off, there is likely a different coach, or mastermind or course that is better to suit your needs. Be patient and find your people.
Tune into episode 30 for a fun little story to back up this logic. See you there!
If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to itunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.
Want more podcasts? Click here to skim the archives.
P.S. Save this value packed episode for later over on pinterest!﻿How I Chose What Mastermind To Invest In Today’s episode is from my recent experience in choosing between two mastermind options. I am a pretty intuitive person, and I’m also rather particular. I am a questionnaire,

How I Chose What Mastermind To Invest In

Today’s episode is from my recent experience in choosing between two mastermind options.

I am a pretty intuitive person, and I’m also rather particular. I am a questionnaire, and it’s hard for me to trust people or things or products, but once I trust them I am extremely loyal.

That is just some background on me so you know who is behind this decision making process. You might be completely different, and I think it’s important for you to know what type of decision maker you are so that you can make the best decisions for yourself right?

There are three things I believe you need to consider FOR SURE when you're looking to join a mastermind, enroll in a course or hire a coach.

I go deep into each of these topics and why I chose which mastermind to ultimately invest in in today's episode.

Trust me, you want the full story on each of my options. It will NOT be a waste of your time. Learn from my experience friend, PUH-LEASE.

Here are my suggestions to you.

Non-negotiables

Have your non-negotiables laid out before you even start searching.

What are 2-3 things you NEED to have in this course, mastermind or coach for your business and life RIGHT NOW. Just because you love a coach, or the thought of a certain program, that DOES NOT mean it is a good fit right NOW. You will join many course and hire multiple coaches in your entrepreneurial journey. Be wise in which ones you invest in. Timing matters.

Once you have those laid out, you'll be less wooed by fancy sales pages and promises that don't ACTUALLY apply to what you NEED. You feel me?

is the value clear?

If you can't see the value, understand the promise, or see what it is that you're ACTUALLY getting out of this experience, for the love of all things holy run in the other direction.

In my opinion "value" can be both tactical strategies, workbooks, coaching calls, as well as EMOTIONAL value. Tell me what I will feel like at the end of this six weeks, or six months. Will I be less stressed? Have more space? Feel more aligned? Right? All of that is VALUE. But if those things aren't clearly laid out, PEACE SON. I'm out.

do you like them?

Straight up, you need to like the human running the show. For me personally, if I don't feel like I would willingly sit down and chat over a cup of coffee with the mastermind host, I am not signing up.

And I need to feel that it would be mutual. You should feel like the mastermind host is speaking DIRECTLY TO YOU & YOUR SOUL. If you feel that, then it is probably a good fit.

The key here is that ALL of these have to be in alignment. Investing in a mastermind, a course or a coach is a big deal. Let's be honest.

If you have your non-negotiables clearly laid out, you see the value and the value involves your non-negotiables, and you genuinely like the human, then it's probs a HELL YES.

But if one of those is off, there is likely a different coach, or mastermind or course that is better to suit your needs. Be patient and find your people.

Tune into episode 30 for a fun little story to back up this logic. See you there!

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to itunes, subscribe, rate and review the show.]]>Annie Millerclean029 | 3 Ways to Start Building Your Email Listhttps://anniemiller.co/029-3-ways-to-start-building-your-email-list/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=029-3-ways-to-start-building-your-email-list
Tue, 16 Jul 2019 01:00:36 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4592In today's episode, we talk about how to build your email list.
You have options here. And here’s the deal, I want to talk about building a mailing list specifically because I see this phenomenon (on Instagram) where entrepreneurs are neglecting their emails lists.
While you are likely going to have success making money from selling your product or service from Instagram and or a social media platform, it is far more important for you to be building an email list.
Email is not dead
And email is almost guaranteed to outlast any social media platform. Marie Forleo is the queen of email marketing, along with Jenna Kutcher and Jules Solomon. All of those ladies teach on the premises of what happens if a Instagram goes away tomorrow? What happens if Facebook disappears tomorrow what happens if during your lunch, one of those platforms is down and you were planning on making thousands of dollars from that platform?
And my answer would be, well all of my scheduled emails are still going to go out to my warmest leads.
I want that to be your answer as well.
You don’t control social media
Which is why people tend to freak out when there is a new algorithm or something of the sort that is out of their control and might affect their exposure or revenue. I don’t want to be in that spot, and I don’t want you to be in that spot. What you do have control over is email.
Now, things can still be out of your control with in the email world. But there are far less variables going on there.
People choose to give you their email address in exchange for something, which is what we’re going to dive into today. And then that person gets put on some sort of a list. You email that list like you said you would.
It’s really that simple. Which is why if you are not building an email list, it is something that you should be highly considering now.
Email list building can be overwhelming
When I started I was super overwhelmed with building an email list and it is still one of my top goals this year, to really hone in on that.
I mean email marketing is literally someone’s full-time job, right? Like, you could go all in and spend all of your time creating elaborate email drip’s, and opt ins, and pop-up sign-up forms on your site, and while all of that is very effective, today I want to give you some tools to just start.
I was given way too much information in the beginning and it was so overwhelming that I was paralyzed and I couldn’t decide what I needed to do to get people to sign up.
So, I started a blog which is completely unnecessary to build an email list and it’s a lot of work to have a blog. I keep up with that blog now, and I enjoy doing it, but YOU DO NOT NEED A BLOG (likely not anyway).
Do you need a blog? Are you wanting to be a blogger? If not, don’t start a blog. To be good at blogging takes a lot of time and effort, which is not necessary for you to make money if you are wanting to make money. Having a blog is also not necessary for you to build an email list. So let’s dive into what is necessary for you to build an email list and three ways that you can choose from and or play with to start building that email list.
how to start
You need a two thinks to get started. A email marketing platform like:
Mailchimp, convertkit, constant contact or something of the sort.
Then you need a space on the interweb where someone can actually enter their email in exchange for whatever you're offering. This can be a landing page or a page or pop-up on your site.
Once you have those set up you give your inquiring humans one of three things.
THAT - is what you find out in today's episode. The three simple ways to START building your mailing list. This process can get THE MOST complicated and intricate. But you need not worry about that yet. Just freaking start!
Like I said I was overwhelmed in the beginning and it paralyzed me. So I kept it basic today and maybe I will do a more in-depth...In today's episode, we talk about how to build your email list. You have options here. And here’s the deal, I want to talk about building a mailing list specifically because I see this phenomenon (on Instagram) where entrepreneurs are neglecting the...

In today's episode, we talk about how to build your email list.

You have options here. And here’s the deal, I want to talk about building a mailing list specifically because I see this phenomenon (on Instagram) where entrepreneurs are neglecting their emails lists.

While you are likely going to have success making money from selling your product or service from Instagram and or a social media platform, it is far more important for you to be building an email list.

Email is not dead

And email is almost guaranteed to outlast any social media platform. Marie Forleo is the queen of email marketing, along with Jenna Kutcher and Jules Solomon. All of those ladies teach on the premises of what happens if a Instagram goes away tomorrow? What happens if Facebook disappears tomorrow what happens if during your lunch, one of those platforms is down and you were planning on making thousands of dollars from that platform?

And my answer would be, well all of my scheduled emails are still going to go out to my warmest leads.

I want that to be your answer as well.

You don’t control social media

Which is why people tend to freak out when there is a new algorithm or something of the sort that is out of their control and might affect their exposure or revenue. I don’t want to be in that spot, and I don’t want you to be in that spot. What you do have control over is email.

Now, things can still be out of your control with in the email world. But there are far less variables going on there.

People choose to give you their email address in exchange for something, which is what we’re going to dive into today. And then that person gets put on some sort of a list. You email that list like you said you would.

It’s really that simple. Which is why if you are not building an email list, it is something that you should be highly considering now.

Email list building can be overwhelming

When I started I was super overwhelmed with building an email list and it is still one of my top goals this year, to really hone in on that.

I mean email marketing is literally someone’s full-time job, right? Like, you could go all in and spend all of your time creating elaborate email drip’s, and opt ins, and pop-up sign-up forms on your site, and while all of that is very effective, today I want to give you some tools to just start.

I was given way too much information in the beginning and it was so overwhelming that I was paralyzed and I couldn’t decide what I needed to do to get people to sign up.

So, I started a blog which is completely unnecessary to build an email list and it’s a lot of work to have a blog. I keep up with that blog now, and I enjoy doing it, but YOU DO NOT NEED A BLOG (likely not anyway).

Do you need a blog? Are you wanting to be a blogger? If not, don’t start a blog. To be good at blogging takes a lot of time and effort, which is not necessary for you to make money if you are wanting to make money. Having a blog is also not necessary for you to build an email list. So let’s dive into what is necessary for you to build an email list and three ways that you can choose from and or play with to start building that email list.

how to start

You need a two thinks to get started. A email marketing platform like:

Mailchimp, convertkit, clean028 | Follow up – Being a Female Strength Coach in a Male Dominated Fieldhttps://anniemiller.co/028-follow-up-being-a-female-strength-coach-in-a-male-dominated-field/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=028-follow-up-being-a-female-strength-coach-in-a-male-dominated-field
Wed, 10 Jul 2019 19:40:58 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4587Being a female strength coach in a male dominated field - part 2
This is a follow up from episode 27 - being a female strength coach in a male dominated field. And I did a follow up because after that podcast, I had a lot of awesome conversation with some of you via my DMs over the gram. And a few common themes kept surfacing so I thought it was worth it to touch on those today.
This is a much shorter episode than the last one mainly because the ground has been laid.
So if you haven’t, go check out episode #27 and then come back and listen to this one.
Alright - today I want to give you some practical tools + clear the air on and maybe reiterate some things from episode 27.
NUMBER 1
Number one might be seen as a bit ironic, but my first pointer for you is to stop focusing so much on the fact that you’re a freaking female.
Yes you're a female strength coach. But you're also just a strength a coach!
In episode 27 when I mentioned that my certification says, "certified strength and conditioning specialist", it does not say "FEMALE certified strength and conditioning specialist." This is the idea I was getting at.
I think we put too much weight on the “being a female” part of being a female strength coach.
I had a conversation the other day with a male actually. About all of the women strength summits that are coming up. And while the intent behind those is good, and I support those, and I go to those, and I want to go to those; I do think that if women are wanting to be held in the same regard and with the same respect as men in this field that we need more of an integration rather than a segregation.
And that isn’t to discount any of the women only strength summit‘s that are happening. It was just a conversation that I thought was interesting and I thought I would share that point with you guys.
If we want respect where the men are and we want to be seen as equal, then we need to be where the men are and where the industry leaders are in someway shape or form. Whether that’s with conversing with male colleagues or speaking at “normal” conferences, not women only conferences. It can look a lot of different ways.
So, of course that all depends on where you are at, what impact do you want to have on the industry, and what your personal desires are, but I thought that it was worth bringing up in this conversation.
Moving on,
NUMBER 2
Everyone sees the world through their own set of lenses.
You are not in control of that. You ARE in control of your own. And that should be both freeing and empowering to you. Right?
You get to decide how you see things. If you’re looking for negative, there’s a 100% chance you’ll find it. If you’re looking for opportunity and positivity, there’s 100% chance you’ll EITHER find it or make it for yourself. That’s what I’m getting at with the lens conversation. And that goes for life, as well as the world of strength and conditioning or any male dominated field.
NUMBER 3
Even with accepting that everyone sees the world through their own lenses and that’s not in your control, it is also wise, I think, to expect shit to happen.
I’m a bit of a realist when it comes to this. People are broken, and flawed, and some are just straight assholes right? To expect that everyone is going to play nice is just ignorant in my opinion. And frankly you’re asking for a dog-pile of disappointment if that is your expectations.
I’ve talked about this before on the blog - expectations are HUGELY important in any area of life, especially those involving other human beings. Expectations allow us to be pro-active and prepared for different scenarios.
THE 80/20 RULE:
If we expect that 80% of the time, people will be decent humans, and 20% of the time, someone will lash out, insult you, or make a mistake, then when that 20% rolls around, you aren’t completely blindsided.
Now, everyone can have their own beliefs, and expectations around humans.Being a female strength coach in a male dominated field - part 2 This is a follow up from episode 27 - being a female strength coach in a male dominated field. And I did a follow up because after that podcast,

Being a female strength coach in a male dominated field - part 2

This is a follow up from episode 27 - being a female strength coach in a male dominated field. And I did a follow up because after that podcast, I had a lot of awesome conversation with some of you via my DMs over the gram. And a few common themes kept surfacing so I thought it was worth it to touch on those today.

This is a much shorter episode than the last one mainly because the ground has been laid.

So if you haven’t, go check out episode #27 and then come back and listen to this one.

Alright - today I want to give you some practical tools + clear the air on and maybe reiterate some things from episode 27.

NUMBER 1

Number one might be seen as a bit ironic, but my first pointer for you is to stop focusing so much on the fact that you’re a freaking female.

Yes you're a female strength coach. But you're also just a strength a coach!

In episode 27 when I mentioned that my certification says, "certified strength and conditioning specialist", it does not say "FEMALE certified strength and conditioning specialist." This is the idea I was getting at.

I think we put too much weight on the “being a female” part of being a female strength coach.

I had a conversation the other day with a male actually. About all of the women strength summits that are coming up. And while the intent behind those is good, and I support those, and I go to those, and I want to go to those; I do think that if women are wanting to be held in the same regard and with the same respect as men in this field that we need more of an integration rather than a segregation.

And that isn’t to discount any of the women only strength summit‘s that are happening. It was just a conversation that I thought was interesting and I thought I would share that point with you guys.

If we want respect where the men are and we want to be seen as equal, then we need to be where the men are and where the industry leaders are in someway shape or form. Whether that’s with conversing with male colleagues or speaking at “normal” conferences, not women only conferences. It can look a lot of different ways.

So, of course that all depends on where you are at, what impact do you want to have on the industry, and what your personal desires are, but I thought that it was worth bringing up in this conversation.

Moving on,

NUMBER 2

Everyone sees the world through their own set of lenses.

You are not in control of that. You ARE in control of your own. And that should be both freeing and empowering to you. Right?

You get to decide how you see things. If you’re looking for negative, there’s a 100% chance you’ll find it. If you’re looking for opportunity and positivity, there’s 100% chance you’ll EITHER find it or make it for yourself. That’s what I’m getting at with the lens conversation. And that goes for life, as well as the world of strength and conditioning or any male dominated field.

NUMBER 3

Even with accepting that everyone sees the world through their own lenses and that’s not in your control, it is also wise, I think, to expect shit to happen.

I’m a bit of a realist when it comes to this. People are broken, and flawed, and some are just straight assholes right? To expect that everyone is going to play nice is just ignorant in my...]]>Annie Millerclean027 | Being a Female Strength Coach in a Male Dominated Fieldhttps://anniemiller.co/027-being-a-female-strength-coach-in-a-male-dominated-field/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=027-being-a-female-strength-coach-in-a-male-dominated-field
Tue, 02 Jul 2019 21:22:06 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4562Let's talk about how to find success as a female strength coach in an industry dominated by males shall we?
I lay it all out in episode 27 fam.
You might not like some of what I have to say. Maybe you will. Either way, this is JUST MY OPINION and speaking from MY EXPERIENCE. Everyone's perspective will always be skewed by their experiences right? That is part of human nature.
With that said, I do sincerely hope you find the episode enlightening and encouraging.
For all my female strength coaches, I cover scenarios and topics like:
WHEN I realized this was indeed a male dominated field.How what you wear DOES MATTER, why it matters, and what attire I suggest in a strength and conditioning setting.How to not be seen as "one of the guys" rather for your value as a strength and conditioning coach, PERIOD. One who simply happens to be a female.What to do when an athlete test the boundaries or your authority.How and why I think a thick skin is something more women need in this field.And why learning to take things with a grain of salt will serve you well as a female in this industry. AND how that does not mean that you have to take shit from ANYONE. Don't get it twisted.
This might be my longest podcast yet. Partially because it is a controversial and touchy topic. I make clear that everyone's experience is different; and that you are entitled to your opinions.
I just also encourage you take control and own your value in this space. Because you ARE valuable. Your cert doesn't say "FEMALE Strength & Conditioning Specialist." It just says, "Strength & Conditioning Specialist."
I hope you enjoy this one. It was a fun one to record and a slightly terrifying one to put into the world. But here we are.
If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to itunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.
Want more podcasts? Click here to skim the archives.
P.S. Save this value packed episode for later over on pinterest!﻿Let's talk about how to find success as a female strength coach in an industry dominated by males shall we? I lay it all out in episode 27 fam. You might not like some of what I have to say. Maybe you will. Either way,

Let's talk about how to find success as a female strength coach in an industry dominated by males shall we?

I lay it all out in episode 27 fam.

You might not like some of what I have to say. Maybe you will. Either way, this is JUST MY OPINION and speaking from MY EXPERIENCE. Everyone's perspective will always be skewed by their experiences right? That is part of human nature.

With that said, I do sincerely hope you find the episode enlightening and encouraging.

For all my female strength coaches, I cover scenarios and topics like:

* WHEN I realized this was indeed a male dominated field.* How what you wear DOES MATTER, why it matters, and what attire I suggest in a strength and conditioning setting.* How to not be seen as "one of the guys" rather for your value as a strength and conditioning coach, PERIOD. One who simply happens to be a female.* What to do when an athlete test the boundaries or your authority.* How and why I think a thick skin is something more women need in this field.* And why learning to take things with a grain of salt will serve you well as a female in this industry. AND how that does not mean that you have to take shit from ANYONE. Don't get it twisted.

This might be my longest podcast yet. Partially because it is a controversial and touchy topic. I make clear that everyone's experience is different; and that you are entitled to your opinions.

I just also encourage you take control and own your value in this space. Because you ARE valuable. Your cert doesn't say "FEMALE Strength & Conditioning Specialist." It just says, "Strength & Conditioning Specialist."

I hope you enjoy this one. It was a fun one to record and a slightly terrifying one to put into the world. But here we are.

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to itunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

]]>Annie Millerclean026 | How To Deal With Unruly Clientshttps://anniemiller.co/026-how-to-deal-with-unruly-clients/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=026-how-to-deal-with-unruly-clients
Tue, 25 Jun 2019 01:00:02 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4545How to deal with unruly clients
I want to start off by saying that this was a suggested it podcast topic. And at first I rolled my eyes at it. Because I no longer have these or have to deal with them. But then thought back to the time in my business when I did have to deal with this type of client.
Today is where I share what I did in my business in order to weed out unruly clients.
First off, you need to take responsibility for that type of client being attracted to you, and you allowing them to purchase your program or enroll in your course. Because you are ultimately in control, or you can be in control over who you work with as a coach.
So if you were unaware of that until this moment, as a trainer please know that there are ways that you can control who works with you and who you filter out of working with you.
Now in today's episode, we cover two kinds of topics in regards to these unruly clients. And I guess I am defining an unruly client as anyone you don’t want to work with and is a pain in your ass as a trainer. And mind you that doesn’t mean it’s a them thing or a you thing. It just means that you weren’t a good fit for one another but somehow they were still able to sign up for and enroll in your program. Which is what we’re going to fix for you today.
After this podcast there should be no more unruly clients for you. But if someone happens to fake their way into your program, and they shouldn’t be there or it’s not a good fit, I am also going to give you tools and tactics to break that relationship so that it’s a win-win for both of you.
Again, this is not about someone being a BAD client, or you being a BAD trainer. It’s about client and trainer not being a good fit for one another.
Scenario number one is the fact that the person got into training with you and they shouldn’t have.
Scenario number two is how to ensure this doesn't happen.
The solutions we cover in this episode are pulled from FitsPRO foundations, because we want our programming to be a win-win for us and for the client. And having unruly clients is just really not winning for anyone.
And I feel like this is most common with new coaches or people just starting out. You need money and want experience. And to be frank, there may be a level of desperation there as well. So you take anyone and everyone as a client. I did it. Most people I know did it. And all of us will tell you right now, it’s literally not worth it. Trust me, you REALLY don’t need experience working with people you don’t want to work with.
But I encourage those of you coaches early in your careers to be patient. Get clear on your ideal client and the specific niche that you help, get clear on your website or sales page copy, and implement an application process NOW, in the beginning.
Everyone is not a good fit for you, and you are not a good fit for everyone.
Be sure to tune in and listen to this episode. Take notes, and USE the knowledge and experience I am throwing down. Even if you don't have or haven't had "unruly" clients, these tactics and systems will be helpful to you.
Hopefully by implementing what you learn today, you’ll be able to weed out those potentially unruly clients and attract more of your dream clients.
If you don’t know, or haven’t downloaded it already, I have an ideal client avatar creator which we use inside FitsPRO Foundations to determine who exactly your ideal client is and how you can speak better to them. I will make sure to put that in the show notes so that you can download it if you’re interested in that. It’s FO FREE. So have at it.
If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to itunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.
P.S. Save this value packed episode for later over on pinterest!﻿How to deal with unruly clients I want to start off by saying that this was a suggested it podcast topic. And at first I rolled my eyes at it. Because I no longer have these or have to deal with them. But then thought back to the time in my business...

How to deal with unruly clients

I want to start off by saying that this was a suggested it podcast topic. And at first I rolled my eyes at it. Because I no longer have these or have to deal with them. But then thought back to the time in my business when I did have to deal with this type of client.

Today is where I share what I did in my business in order to weed out unruly clients.

First off, you need to take responsibility for that type of client being attracted to you, and you allowing them to purchase your program or enroll in your course. Because you are ultimately in control, or you can be in control over who you work with as a coach.

So if you were unaware of that until this moment, as a trainer please know that there are ways that you can control who works with you and who you filter out of working with you.

Now in today's episode, we cover two kinds of topics in regards to these unruly clients. And I guess I am defining an unruly client as anyone you don’t want to work with and is a pain in your ass as a trainer. And mind you that doesn’t mean it’s a them thing or a you thing. It just means that you weren’t a good fit for one another but somehow they were still able to sign up for and enroll in your program. Which is what we’re going to fix for you today.

After this podcast there should be no more unruly clients for you. But if someone happens to fake their way into your program, and they shouldn’t be there or it’s not a good fit, I am also going to give you tools and tactics to break that relationship so that it’s a win-win for both of you.

Again, this is not about someone being a BAD client, or you being a BAD trainer. It’s about client and trainer not being a good fit for one another.

Scenario number one is the fact that the person got into training with you and they shouldn’t have.

Scenario number two is how to ensure this doesn't happen.

The solutions we cover in this episode are pulled from FitsPRO foundations, because we want our programming to be a win-win for us and for the client. And having unruly clients is just really not winning for anyone.

And I feel like this is most common with new coaches or people just starting out. You need money and want experience. And to be frank, there may be a level of desperation there as well. So you take anyone and everyone as a client. I did it. Most people I know did it. And all of us will tell you right now, it’s literally not worth it. Trust me, you REALLY don’t need experience working with people you don’t want to work with.

But I encourage those of you coaches early in your careers to be patient. Get clear on your ideal client and the specific niche that you help, get clear on your website or sales page copy, and implement an application process NOW, in the beginning.

Everyone is not a good fit for you, and you are not a good fit for everyone.

Be sure to tune in and listen to this episode. Take notes, and USE the knowledge and experience I am throwing down. Even if you don't have or haven't had "unruly" clients, these tactics and systems will be helpful to you.

Hopefully by implementing what you learn today, you’ll be able to weed out those potentially unruly clients and attract more of your dream clients.

If you don’t know, or haven’t downloaded it already, I have an ideal client avatar creator which we use inside clean025 | How To Be Good At Programming [part 2]https://anniemiller.co/025-how-to-be-good-at-programming-part-2/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=025-how-to-be-good-at-programming-part-2
Tue, 18 Jun 2019 01:00:26 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4541How to be good at programming part 2
I for one understand how hard and overwhelming it can be write programs.
So, for those of you who feel like you don’t know where to start or you can’t comprehend how easy it is for other trainers, remember that we all likely felt that same way.
We all had a “first” program. We all felt like there were 3 million exercises and 200,000 rep schemes and somehow we were supposed to know which five of the 3 million exercises would work and what rep schemes would get us where we wanted.
I just want you to know that while I consider myself an expert at writing programs, and LOVE doing it now, there was once a time when I stood in my professors office with a blank piece of paper and nothing but questions because I could not for the life of me start my program design.
I said to him, "I just want an equation, axb gives you c results." One way for everything. And he said what he thought would be helpful but just solidified my point of struggle. He said that he could ask 25 of us to write a program to improve his back squat or vertical jump; and all 25 programs would be completely different, but they would get him the same result...
Yeah, NOT HELPFUL. It was supposed to be freeing to me, but it wasn’t. Like I said, it just confirmed to me that there were 3 million combinations. And I was stuck in choosing the RIGHT one. But fam, there isn’t a RIGHT one.
There is however some basics that can help ground you when starting out. And that’s what I’m sharing with you today.
We’ll jump into your program skeleton, exercise selection and some info on sets and reps. I hope to provide a framework in the very least, so you have something to focus on besides a blank slate and endless options.
To keep it simple this episode is for a strength training program, not crossfit where you’re focusing on specific energy systems on a day to day basis, or you should be anyway. This is for those of you who are looking to improve things like strength, hypertrophy, power and mobility. Maybe even correct imbalances and things like that. So if that’s you, If that’s your style of training, let’s do this.
First up, you have your programs skeleton right? These are your plug and chug components. Nearly every workout will have these.
We touch on each of the following inside the episode: warm up, movement prep, power lift, main lift, compound accessory, single joint accessory, cool down or whatever you need.
That’s your skeleton for now.
Then we have sets and reps + exercise selection right? So that’s what we’ll dive into next.
You need to understand movements in categories before we go plucking from the exercise tree.
You have:
Squats (knee dominant movements)
Hinges (hip dominant movements)
Vertical pushes
Vertical pulls
strict press, push press, pull ups, lat pull downs, high pulls
Horizontal pushes
Horizontal pulls
bench press, push ups, bent over rows, seated rows, inverted rows.
Carries (overhead, single arm, normal etc)
Antirotational core work
Rotational core work
And then within all those squat, hinge pushes and pulls we have single limb work right? But those are the basics and if you grasp that categorization and know how to tell what category and exercise falls into. You should have a better idea of how to focus a program while keeping it balanced.
That's what I will leave you with here. We then go over set and rep schemes. For now, know that you need to consider the following when creating your program set and reps.
Weekly volume,
Goals of the program,
Training age of the athlete.
It’s a mistake for a trainer to look at a program workout by workout alone. You need to look at weekly volume, both in total stress to the body, and isolated stress to certain areas.
You need to keep an eye on weekly volume and time under tension for the whole body and isolated areas. Have the big picture in mind vs just making 5 individual worko...How to be good at programming part 2 I for one understand how hard and overwhelming it can be write programs. So, for those of you who feel like you don’t know where to start or you can’t comprehend how easy it is for other trainers,

How to be good at programming part 2

I for one understand how hard and overwhelming it can be write programs.

So, for those of you who feel like you don’t know where to start or you can’t comprehend how easy it is for other trainers, remember that we all likely felt that same way.

We all had a “first” program. We all felt like there were 3 million exercises and 200,000 rep schemes and somehow we were supposed to know which five of the 3 million exercises would work and what rep schemes would get us where we wanted.

I just want you to know that while I consider myself an expert at writing programs, and LOVE doing it now, there was once a time when I stood in my professors office with a blank piece of paper and nothing but questions because I could not for the life of me start my program design.

I said to him, "I just want an equation, axb gives you c results." One way for everything. And he said what he thought would be helpful but just solidified my point of struggle. He said that he could ask 25 of us to write a program to improve his back squat or vertical jump; and all 25 programs would be completely different, but they would get him the same result...

Yeah, NOT HELPFUL. It was supposed to be freeing to me, but it wasn’t. Like I said, it just confirmed to me that there were 3 million combinations. And I was stuck in choosing the RIGHT one. But fam, there isn’t a RIGHT one.

There is however some basics that can help ground you when starting out. And that’s what I’m sharing with you today.

We’ll jump into your program skeleton, exercise selection and some info on sets and reps. I hope to provide a framework in the very least, so you have something to focus on besides a blank slate and endless options.

To keep it simple this episode is for a strength training program, not crossfit where you’re focusing on specific energy systems on a day to day basis, or you should be anyway. This is for those of you who are looking to improve things like strength, hypertrophy, power and mobility. Maybe even correct imbalances and things like that. So if that’s you, If that’s your style of training, let’s do this.

First up, you have your programs skeleton right? These are your plug and chug components. Nearly every workout will have these.

We touch on each of the following inside the episode: warm up, movement prep, power lift, main lift, compound accessory, single joint accessory, cool down or whatever you need.

That’s your skeleton for now.

Then we have sets and reps + exercise selection right? So that’s what we’ll dive into next.

You need to understand movements in categories before we go plucking from the exercise tree.

You have:

Squats (knee dominant movements)

Hinges (hip dominant movements)

Vertical pushes

Vertical pulls

* strict press, push press, pull ups, lat pull downs, high pulls

Horizontal pushes

Horizontal pulls

* bench press, push ups, bent over rows, seated rows, inverted rows.

Carries (overhead, single arm, normal etc)

Antirotational core work

Rotational core work

And then within all those squat, hinge pushes and pulls we have single limb work right? But those are the basics and if you grasp that categorization and know how to tell what category and exercise fa...]]>Annie Millerclean024 | How To Be Good at Programming [part 1]https://anniemiller.co/024-how-to-be-good-at-programming-part-1/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=024-how-to-be-good-at-programming-part-1
Tue, 11 Jun 2019 01:00:07 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4537How to be good at programming Part 1
I cannot tell you how many times I’ve received DMs on Instagram from coaches asking how to get good at programming or what my favorite go to books are for writing programs.
It’s funny because there isn’t a book that teaches you how to program fam. There are books that include programs, sure. But programming as a whole is so freaking broad and complex, I think it’s darn near impossible to create a book on quote unquote “program design.”
And for the sake of this conversation I am strictly talking about designing programs for weight training & strength training, so barbells, dumbbells machines and body weight exercises are all included in that.
Today I’m going to cover what I think makes me, and other professionals experts at designing programs, and what goes into a writing a program. I think if you can grasp those basics, you’ll be in a good spot as a trainer and coach.
Straight up, if you do not understand these three things, your programming will lack purpose and be subpar forever and always.
Numbers one and two really just have to do with the human body.
How can you possibly develop strength or mobility in a muscle if you don’t know what it does? How are you going to go about exercise selection if you don’t know what the prime mover of an exercise is? What muscles act as protagonists? Antagonists? And stabilizers.
We go DEEP into this inside the episode; but the idea is this - would you hire a freaking plumber that didn’t know the anatomy of a toilet or kitchen sink? Probs not! Quite frankly think it’s dangerous for coaches to not have background knowledge in anatomy. And you don’t need a four year degree for that you guys. You can take classes at anytime or study online for freaking free. The information is out there.
It’s my belief that if you want to be a programming wiz, you need to grasp these things. You don’t need to memorize EVERY muscle, origin and insertion. But it will benefit you to know the big ones, and to understand WHY that matters in program design.
You’re changing human bodies. The least you can do is actually understand the musculature of a human body.
Like I said, number one and two go together, and you'll have to listen to hear what number two is.
And then number three is really a few bunched into one.
You need to understand progressive overload and how to make that happen overtime. If you don't know what I am talking about, tune in NOW.
Understanding this training principle allows you to program in a very simple manner. Because there is no need or pressure to change up everything in a program every month or day or week.
There is so little need for that if you understand how to progressively over load the muscle in order to grow or build strength. The only reason to make alterations is to avoid boredom, and to give a new stimulus from a different angle to a muscle group.
Beyond that, you need to have a general understanding of set and rep ranges and what those can yield in the way of strength, hypertrophy, endurance or power. We cover more of this is part 2 (coming next week).
So when people ask what my favorite programming books are I am hesitant to answer because it’s rarely a program guide that they need. But rather a deeper understanding of the human body itself.
If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to itunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.
P.S. Save this value packed episode for later over on pinterest!How to be good at programming Part 1 I cannot tell you how many times I’ve received DMs on Instagram from coaches asking how to get good at programming or what my favorite go to books are for writing programs.

How to be good at programming Part 1

I cannot tell you how many times I’ve received DMs on Instagram from coaches asking how to get good at programming or what my favorite go to books are for writing programs.

It’s funny because there isn’t a book that teaches you how to program fam. There are books that include programs, sure. But programming as a whole is so freaking broad and complex, I think it’s darn near impossible to create a book on quote unquote “program design.”

And for the sake of this conversation I am strictly talking about designing programs for weight training & strength training, so barbells, dumbbells machines and body weight exercises are all included in that.

Today I’m going to cover what I think makes me, and other professionals experts at designing programs, and what goes into a writing a program. I think if you can grasp those basics, you’ll be in a good spot as a trainer and coach.

Straight up, if you do not understand these three things, your programming will lack purpose and be subpar forever and always.

Numbers one and two really just have to do with the human body.

How can you possibly develop strength or mobility in a muscle if you don’t know what it does? How are you going to go about exercise selection if you don’t know what the prime mover of an exercise is? What muscles act as protagonists? Antagonists? And stabilizers.

We go DEEP into this inside the episode; but the idea is this - would you hire a freaking plumber that didn’t know the anatomy of a toilet or kitchen sink? Probs not! Quite frankly think it’s dangerous for coaches to not have background knowledge in anatomy. And you don’t need a four year degree for that you guys. You can take classes at anytime or study online for freaking free. The information is out there.

It’s my belief that if you want to be a programming wiz, you need to grasp these things. You don’t need to memorize EVERY muscle, origin and insertion. But it will benefit you to know the big ones, and to understand WHY that matters in program design.

You’re changing human bodies. The least you can do is actually understand the musculature of a human body.

Like I said, number one and two go together, and you'll have to listen to hear what number two is.

And then number three is really a few bunched into one.

You need to understand progressive overload and how to make that happen overtime. If you don't know what I am talking about, tune in NOW.

Understanding this training principle allows you to program in a very simple manner. Because there is no need or pressure to change up everything in a program every month or day or week.

There is so little need for that if you understand how to progressively over load the muscle in order to grow or build strength. The only reason to make alterations is to avoid boredom, and to give a new stimulus from a different angle to a muscle group.

Beyond that, you need to have a general understanding of set and rep ranges and what those can yield in the way of strength, hypertrophy, endurance or power. We cover more of this is part 2 (coming next week).

So when people ask what my favorite programming books are I am hesitant to answer because it’s rarely a program guide that they need. But rather a deeper understanding of the human body itself.

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to itunes, subscribe,]]>Annie Millerclean023 | Selling On Instagram [in your feed and stories]https://anniemiller.co/023-selling-on-instagram-in-your-feed-and-stories/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=023-selling-on-instagram-in-your-feed-and-stories
Tue, 04 Jun 2019 01:00:01 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4533Calling all entrepreneurs in the online space. If you use instagram for your business, then you can be making more money from this platform than you currently are. Just a guess?
Whether you have a following of 100 or 10,000 people on instagram, this episode is going to improve your revenue. If you follow the steps I lay out for you, that is.
Instagram is changing, it has changed, and will continue to do so. You can't keep doing what USED to work and expect it to work NOW. That's true for all aspects of owning and running a business right? Systems and tactics that got you to one point, might not be the ones that get you to the next one.
Well today, we dive into your instagram feed AND stories in order to make you more money on this platform. Yes, these are specific strategies that work NOW on instagram to build relationships, trust, and income for you.
I give you super specific tasks to follow in order to improve your profits from IG. This is no easy quick fix my friend. You will have to plan, execute, practice, follow through and most importantly, BE CONSISTENT.
If you aren't consistent, this will fail. Nothing I teach you today will stick or have an effect on your audience. You hear me? You have to IMPLEMENT. Not for one week, or one month, but for a long ass time, okay?
You'll leave this podcast with actionable steps straight out of my FitsPRO Foundations course. So, if you own a business and want to make more mula or grow your instagram following, THIS ONE IS FOR YOU.
Have at it sister.
Oh and if you don't already have my Ideal Client Avatar Creator you can download it here FOR FREE.
If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to itunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.
-Annie
P.S. Save this value packed episode for later over on pinterest!Calling all entrepreneurs in the online space. If you use instagram for your business, then you can be making more money from this platform than you currently are. Just a guess? Whether you have a following of 100 or 10,000 people on instagram,

Calling all entrepreneurs in the online space. If you use instagram for your business, then you can be making more money from this platform than you currently are. Just a guess?

Whether you have a following of 100 or 10,000 people on instagram, this episode is going to improve your revenue. If you follow the steps I lay out for you, that is.

Instagram is changing, it has changed, and will continue to do so. You can't keep doing what USED to work and expect it to work NOW. That's true for all aspects of owning and running a business right? Systems and tactics that got you to one point, might not be the ones that get you to the next one.

Well today, we dive into your instagram feed AND stories in order to make you more money on this platform. Yes, these are specific strategies that work NOW on instagram to build relationships, trust, and income for you.

I give you super specific tasks to follow in order to improve your profits from IG. This is no easy quick fix my friend. You will have to plan, execute, practice, follow through and most importantly, BE CONSISTENT.

If you aren't consistent, this will fail. Nothing I teach you today will stick or have an effect on your audience. You hear me? You have to IMPLEMENT. Not for one week, or one month, but for a long ass time, okay?

You'll leave this podcast with actionable steps straight out of my FitsPRO Foundations course. So, if you own a business and want to make more mula or grow your instagram following, THIS ONE IS FOR YOU.

If you find value here, on The FitsPRO Podcast, then pretty please head over to itunes, subscribe, rate and review the show. It means the world to me when you spread my message to more humans.

-Annie

P.S. Save this value packed episode for later over on pinterest!

]]>Annie Millerclean022 | How Traveling the World 3x My Businesshttps://anniemiller.co/022-how-traveling-the-world-3x-my-business/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=022-how-traveling-the-world-3x-my-business
Tue, 28 May 2019 01:00:56 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4529Today we dive into how the decision to travel the world for a year grew my business. And it might not be what you think.
I’m returning to the states with a much more successful biz than when I left, plus I got to travel the world for a year.
For the back story, I’m sure you’ve heard a million times now, I have only been self employed since we left to travel the world on May 22 2018. So 2019 is actually the first year I’ve been completely self-employed. But before we left, Nate was working, and I was coaching competitive cheer and training in person clients.
Now, the goal was always to work towards and end up being completely online with my biz. But that was a SLOW process up until we made the decision to leave the country.
Don’t get me wrong. I never wanted a fast track to success. I always wanted slow, sustainable growth. Yes, of course I wanted success and to feel free in my biz but I never wanted nor did I have the expectation that that was going to just happen over night.
But my point is that I totally would have continued drawing out that process and not making the jump to being fully self employed had we not made a sink or swim type of life choice. I’d heard of this approach from other entrepreneurs. Take the jump and then make it work. And to be honest. Most of the time it does. Because these scenarios are truly sink or swim. They also tend to be super stressful. Which I was avoiding.
How can I grow online and decrease my load at work? That’s what I did. And I don’t regret that at all.
We’d planned to have me be the provider while we traveled. That was motivating, awesome and terrifying all at the same time.
This is the point where we go deep into the first seven months of travel + business decisions. It's quite the story and I certainly hope it feels raw, and inspires you with your biz.
Leaving meant I was self employed. Great. Now I’ve got to make it work and I really needed to make more than I was at the time.
And to be honest, I quickly realized I had A LOT of extra time on my hands when there was nothing to do besides work on my biz.
Traveling the world gave me an excuse and reason to stop coaching cheer and training people in person. It would have been MUCH harder to just cut those things off. I’d been invested in cheer for 10 years, and in person for seven. So, in all honesty, the whole “we’re living somewhere else” deal made it easier for me to deliver to my humans.
If you’re wanting to make the leap to online or work for yourself, I fully understand the fear and emotional hesitation there. It’s not an easy thing to do, and I didn’t want to brush over that decision like it is.
I read The Big Leap while we were in Santiago, Chile. That made me ask A LOT of questions and honestly put me in kind of an uncomfortable funk.
I quickly realized that I needed to change some things in my business and wanted to reach more people + streamline built by Annie even more. I looked for areas of my biz that I could deliver value in less time while making more. Thaaaatttt is what led to the tiered creation that is the current Built By Annie today.
In Santiago I designed the webpage and outlined the new programs for BBA. I did all the ground work.
No significant growth in biz because nothing changed yet. But I had the space to grow which is the point.
Lot's happens in between Santiago and Rio De Janeiro, and I finally launch the new (current) BBA in Brazil. You'll have to listen for the rest.
Just know that we (the Millers) were not sinking fam. We were swimming.
I now had a new found confidence and belief in myself and my abilities to make things happen when I needed to. And I was building the foundation of a biz that could REALLY sustain us now + grow in the future.
And that’s what it did. I got more clear on who I was talking to + wanted to attract because I wasn’t in the mindset that I needed to take every client that came along.Today we dive into how the decision to travel the world for a year grew my business. And it might not be what you think. I’m returning to the states with a much more successful biz than when I left, plus I got to travel the world for a year.

Today we dive into how the decision to travel the world for a year grew my business. And it might not be what you think.

I’m returning to the states with a much more successful biz than when I left, plus I got to travel the world for a year.

For the back story, I’m sure you’ve heard a million times now, I have only been self employed since we left to travel the world on May 22 2018. So 2019 is actually the first year I’ve been completely self-employed. But before we left, Nate was working, and I was coaching competitive cheer and training in person clients.

Now, the goal was always to work towards and end up being completely online with my biz. But that was a SLOW process up until we made the decision to leave the country.

Don’t get me wrong. I never wanted a fast track to success. I always wanted slow, sustainable growth. Yes, of course I wanted success and to feel free in my biz but I never wanted nor did I have the expectation that that was going to just happen over night.

But my point is that I totally would have continued drawing out that process and not making the jump to being fully self employed had we not made a sink or swim type of life choice. I’d heard of this approach from other entrepreneurs. Take the jump and then make it work. And to be honest. Most of the time it does. Because these scenarios are truly sink or swim. They also tend to be super stressful. Which I was avoiding.

How can I grow online and decrease my load at work? That’s what I did. And I don’t regret that at all.

We’d planned to have me be the provider while we traveled. That was motivating, awesome and terrifying all at the same time.

This is the point where we go deep into the first seven months of travel + business decisions. It's quite the story and I certainly hope it feels raw, and inspires you with your biz.

Leaving meant I was self employed. Great. Now I’ve got to make it work and I really needed to make more than I was at the time.

And to be honest, I quickly realized I had A LOT of extra time on my hands when there was nothing to do besides work on my biz.

Traveling the world gave me an excuse and reason to stop coaching cheer and training people in person. It would have been MUCH harder to just cut those things off. I’d been invested in cheer for 10 years, and in person for seven. So, in all honesty, the whole “we’re living somewhere else” deal made it easier for me to deliver to my humans.

If you’re wanting to make the leap to online or work for yourself, I fully understand the fear and emotional hesitation there. It’s not an easy thing to do, and I didn’t want to brush over that decision like it is.

I read The Big Leap while we were in Santiago, Chile. That made me ask A LOT of questions and honestly put me in kind of an uncomfortable funk.

I quickly realized that I needed to change some things in my business and wanted to reach more people + streamline built by Annie even more. I looked for areas of my biz that I could deliver value in less time while making more. Thaaaatttt is what led to the tiered creation that is the current Built By Annie today.

In Santiago I designed the webpage and outlined the new programs for BBA. I did all the ground work.

No significant growth in biz because nothing changed yet. But I had the space to grow which is the point.

Lot's happens in between Santiago and Rio De Janeiro, and I finally launch the new (current) BBA in Brazil. You'll have to listen for the rest.

]]>Annie Millerclean021 | 6 Things I Missed While Traveling The Worldhttps://anniemiller.co/021-6-things-i-missed-while-traveling-the-world/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=021-6-things-i-missed-while-traveling-the-world
Tue, 21 May 2019 01:00:51 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4527While this episode might not be directly about fitness or business, those things were certainly effected by our year of world travel. And with that coming to an end, I thought it would be fun to dive into what I actually missed while living abroad.
Maybe you’ll be surprised by some, or maybe by what’s NOT on the list. Either way, that's what today's episode is covering.
People asked us what we were missed about home most often early on in our trip. At that point, we didn’t miss anything. Aside from the limited food choices in Santiago, Chile, we were fairly content enjoying our new lifestyle.
It is fair to say, however, that I missed various things in different areas of the world. There are a few things that I missed nearly everywhere we went. And there is an over catching theme for most of them.
You'll have to tune in to hear what they are and the stories behind WHY I missed these six things.
Might I just add in here that missing these components of life back home is a complaint in any fashion about how hard our life was while traveling the world. These are simply things I missed during our time away; and that was to be expected.
Again, I am not giving them away here, but it was certainly interesting to see what we thought we’d miss, and what we actually did.
Oh, and I of course missed family but I figured that was a given. And I tried to FaceTime my mom and sister which honestly helped a lot with that. So these six aspects of my old life are very personal in that they ONLY apply to me, and my old "normal."
I hope this is an interesting episode for you if nothing else. I think when we remove MOST of the things and western luxuries were used to, we quickly find out what we value most. And it would appear that I don’t need much for contentment, but I definitely enjoy life with these six things in it.
If you listen or listened, THANK YOU for tuning into this one and I appreciate that you choose to put me in your ears.
Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The FitsPRO Podcast over on itunes. You duh best.While this episode might not be directly about fitness or business, those things were certainly effected by our year of world travel. And with that coming to an end, I thought it would be fun to dive into what I actually missed while living abroad. ...

While this episode might not be directly about fitness or business, those things were certainly effected by our year of world travel. And with that coming to an end, I thought it would be fun to dive into what I actually missed while living abroad.

Maybe you’ll be surprised by some, or maybe by what’s NOT on the list. Either way, that's what today's episode is covering.

People asked us what we were missed about home most often early on in our trip. At that point, we didn’t miss anything. Aside from the limited food choices in Santiago, Chile, we were fairly content enjoying our new lifestyle.

It is fair to say, however, that I missed various things in different areas of the world. There are a few things that I missed nearly everywhere we went. And there is an over catching theme for most of them.

You'll have to tune in to hear what they are and the stories behind WHY I missed these six things.

Might I just add in here that missing these components of life back home is a complaint in any fashion about how hard our life was while traveling the world. These are simply things I missed during our time away; and that was to be expected.

Again, I am not giving them away here, but it was certainly interesting to see what we thought we’d miss, and what we actually did.

Oh, and I of course missed family but I figured that was a given. And I tried to FaceTime my mom and sister which honestly helped a lot with that. So these six aspects of my old life are very personal in that they ONLY apply to me, and my old "normal."

I hope this is an interesting episode for you if nothing else. I think when we remove MOST of the things and western luxuries were used to, we quickly find out what we value most. And it would appear that I don’t need much for contentment, but I definitely enjoy life with these six things in it.

If you listen or listened, THANK YOU for tuning into this one and I appreciate that you choose to put me in your ears.

Make sure to subscribe, rate and review The FitsPRO Podcast over on itunes. You duh best.]]>Annie Millerclean020 | Life’s Normality, Seasons and Changes [coming home from world travels]https://anniemiller.co/020-lifes-normality-seasons-and-changes-coming-home-from-world-travels/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=020-lifes-normality-seasons-and-changes-coming-home-from-world-travels
Tue, 14 May 2019 01:00:29 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4525Today's episode goes out to all humans who have every experienced a change in their "normal." For those times when you graduate, move, start a new job, enter a relationship, end a relationship, change your lifestyle, bring a human into the world. You know, the times your "normal" changes and becomes a NEW "normal."
This particular episode was inspired by my current life events (or soon to be). At the end of this month (May), Nate and I will return to the states after one year of traveling the world. Just over 365 days abroad.
And several humans may think we are returning to our old "normal" way of life. But that would be a false assumption. While we are returning to our old home, family, and SOME aspects of our old life, there will be far more that is NEW to us.
Nate won't be working, I'll be self employed (which I've never been AT HOME before - more on that inside the episode), we will be a one car fam, and there are A LOT of unknowns in our future. So it will without a doubt be a NEW normal for the Millers.
But this episode goes far beyond my new norm and it's potential stressors. This one is for you as well. If you've ever had a new normal (which I think you have), if you're in one now or you'll have one in the future, then you need to give this one a listen.
New normals are rarely a smooth transition, and that's so so so important to note, be aware of, and properly plan for. I should have gone deeper into this on today's episode but just know that it's okay to change your normal, transition periods can be hard, and you have the power to change your current norm at any time + the power to set realistic goals for yourself during that time.
Your norm now, won't be your norm forever. That's inevitable. Hopefully today's episode can shine some light on that fact.
If you tuned in, please subscribe, rate and review The fitsPRO Podcast over on itunes! Y'all help me get into more people's ears, which is right where I want to be. THANK YOU.Today's episode goes out to all humans who have every experienced a change in their "normal." For those times when you graduate, move, start a new job, enter a relationship, end a relationship, change your lifestyle, bring a human into the world.

Today's episode goes out to all humans who have every experienced a change in their "normal." For those times when you graduate, move, start a new job, enter a relationship, end a relationship, change your lifestyle, bring a human into the world. You know, the times your "normal" changes and becomes a NEW "normal."

This particular episode was inspired by my current life events (or soon to be). At the end of this month (May), Nate and I will return to the states after one year of traveling the world. Just over 365 days abroad.

And several humans may think we are returning to our old "normal" way of life. But that would be a false assumption. While we are returning to our old home, family, and SOME aspects of our old life, there will be far more that is NEW to us.

Nate won't be working, I'll be self employed (which I've never been AT HOME before - more on that inside the episode), we will be a one car fam, and there are A LOT of unknowns in our future. So it will without a doubt be a NEW normal for the Millers.

But this episode goes far beyond my new norm and it's potential stressors. This one is for you as well. If you've ever had a new normal (which I think you have), if you're in one now or you'll have one in the future, then you need to give this one a listen.

New normals are rarely a smooth transition, and that's so so so important to note, be aware of, and properly plan for. I should have gone deeper into this on today's episode but just know that it's okay to change your normal, transition periods can be hard, and you have the power to change your current norm at any time + the power to set realistic goals for yourself during that time.

If you tuned in, please subscribe, rate and review The fitsPRO Podcast over on itunes! Y'all help me get into more people's ears, which is right where I want to be. THANK YOU.]]>Annie Millerclean019 | Your Body is Not Your Value [as a trainer or human]https://anniemiller.co/019-your-body-is-not-your-value-as-a-trainer-or-human/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=019-your-body-is-not-your-value-as-a-trainer-or-human
Tue, 07 May 2019 01:00:40 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4523There is a lie in the industry of health and fitness that might be more relevant than ever before. That is that your body is your value as a trainer. If you don't look a certain way, your voice is not valuable, your brain is not valuable, your experience is not valuable and perhaps you have no place in this industry.
Well friend, I call bull shit. You stop believing that TUH-DAY. And you start stepping into who you were meant to be as a fitsPRO. You have a brain and expertise that your ideal client is literally waiting for, searching for. And quite frankly, you're doing them a disservice by keeping that to yourself.
In the world that is social media, it can be hard to see past the belfies (butt selfies) and bimbos selling programs with nothing more than their bodies as a marketing tactic. "Do this and you'll look like me." I believe this breeds an unhealthy relationship with fitness, both as a trainer and for the trainee.
I dive deeper into what can go wrong when trainers use their bodies to sell products and why it's a dangerous game to play, inside today's episode.
People who do it right:
@megsquats
@iamchrissyking
@faithandfit
@activeliferx
@kbfitbritt
@kenziefitcoach
Bottom line is that you are more than your body, and your value doesn't change (as a trainer or a human being) even if you do get smaller, or more fit, or WHATEVER. That was never where your value lied, and it never will.
So if you're a trainer or human, today's episode is for you. Let's chat about how we can show our value and be an example in this industry without selling our bodies. Because THAT does not have to be a part of the plan. And in my opinion. It should never be a part of your plan. Not as a professional, service minded individual.
Tune in and let me know what you think.
If you like it, please subscribe, rate and review The FitsPRO Podcast over on apple podcasts. It means the world to me my friend.There is a lie in the industry of health and fitness that might be more relevant than ever before. That is that your body is your value as a trainer. If you don't look a certain way, your voice is not valuable, your brain is not valuable,

There is a lie in the industry of health and fitness that might be more relevant than ever before. That is that your body is your value as a trainer. If you don't look a certain way, your voice is not valuable, your brain is not valuable, your experience is not valuable and perhaps you have no place in this industry.

Well friend, I call bull shit. You stop believing that TUH-DAY. And you start stepping into who you were meant to be as a fitsPRO. You have a brain and expertise that your ideal client is literally waiting for, searching for. And quite frankly, you're doing them a disservice by keeping that to yourself.

In the world that is social media, it can be hard to see past the belfies (butt selfies) and bimbos selling programs with nothing more than their bodies as a marketing tactic. "Do this and you'll look like me." I believe this breeds an unhealthy relationship with fitness, both as a trainer and for the trainee.

I dive deeper into what can go wrong when trainers use their bodies to sell products and why it's a dangerous game to play, inside today's episode.

Bottom line is that you are more than your body, and your value doesn't change (as a trainer or a human being) even if you do get smaller, or more fit, or WHATEVER. That was never where your value lied, and it never will.

So if you're a trainer or human, today's episode is for you. Let's chat about how we can show our value and be an example in this industry without selling our bodies. Because THAT does not have to be a part of the plan. And in my opinion. It should never be a part of your plan. Not as a professional, service minded individual.

Tune in and let me know what you think.

If you like it, please subscribe, rate and review The FitsPRO Podcast over on apple podcasts. It means the world to me my friend.]]>Annie Millerclean018 | Practicing Essentialism as an Entrepreneur [and human]https://anniemiller.co/018-practicing-essentialism-as-an-entrepreneur-and-human/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=018-practicing-essentialism-as-an-entrepreneur-and-human
Tue, 30 Apr 2019 01:00:24 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4513If you've followed me on social media for any period of time, you've likely heard me talk about the practice of ESSENTIALISM. This idea of essentialism is not something you wake up one day and have mastered. It takes a deep understanding of what it is, what it demands, and the determination to practice it daily.
I have been at this for three years, and still haven't mastered it, BUT it is something I refer to weekly if not daily in my decision making process. And you'll find that the more you practice essentialism in one area of life, the more it turns up in other areas. You'll get closer to closer to becoming "an essentialist."
So the basis of essentialism is to take your energy and focus it in one area rather than 300. When our focus is not ACTUALLY focused on something, we make minimal progress right? So stop working on and thinking about ALL OF THE THINGS, and learn to choose only the ESSENTIAL.
This is not easy. And that's what I dive into with today's episode of The FitsPRO Podcast. What I believe to be the hardest part of practicing essentialism. I won't give it away here, but if you are interested in using your time more wisely and getting the most out of your effort on this planet, you need to pick up on this whole essentialist deal.
If you haven't already, make sure you purchase Greg Mckeown's book called Essentialism. Visit my amazon page and snag it. Just remember to read it with the INTENT to IMPLEMENT. Don't you dare just breeze through it without actually taking the time and effort to apply the knowledge. There is no point in reading it if that's your aim.
Lastly, I teach both these concepts of essentialism and the intent to implement inside FitsPRO Foundations (my online course for online fitness professionals). You can join the waitlist here, as the doors will be opening soon and the waitlist gets first dibs.
IF YOU LOVED THIS EPISODE OF THE FITSPRO PODCAST PLEASE HEAD OVER TO APPLE PODCASTS, SUBSCRIBE, THROW UP FIVE STARS FOR YA GIRL, AND LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU’RE FEELING EXTRA GENEROUS. YOU DUH BEST FOR REAL.If you've followed me on social media for any period of time, you've likely heard me talk about the practice of ESSENTIALISM. This idea of essentialism is not something you wake up one day and have mastered.

If you've followed me on social media for any period of time, you've likely heard me talk about the practice of ESSENTIALISM. This idea of essentialism is not something you wake up one day and have mastered. It takes a deep understanding of what it is, what it demands, and the determination to practice it daily.

I have been at this for three years, and still haven't mastered it, BUT it is something I refer to weekly if not daily in my decision making process. And you'll find that the more you practice essentialism in one area of life, the more it turns up in other areas. You'll get closer to closer to becoming "an essentialist."

So the basis of essentialism is to take your energy and focus it in one area rather than 300. When our focus is not ACTUALLY focused on something, we make minimal progress right? So stop working on and thinking about ALL OF THE THINGS, and learn to choose only the ESSENTIAL.

This is not easy. And that's what I dive into with today's episode of The FitsPRO Podcast. What I believe to be the hardest part of practicing essentialism. I won't give it away here, but if you are interested in using your time more wisely and getting the most out of your effort on this planet, you need to pick up on this whole essentialist deal.

If you haven't already, make sure you purchase Greg Mckeown's book called Essentialism. Visit my amazon page and snag it. Just remember to read it with the INTENT to IMPLEMENT. Don't you dare just breeze through it without actually taking the time and effort to apply the knowledge. There is no point in reading it if that's your aim.

Lastly, I teach both these concepts of essentialism and the intent to implement inside FitsPRO Foundations (my online course for online fitness professionals). You can join the waitlist here, as the doors will be opening soon and the waitlist gets first dibs.

IF YOU LOVED THIS EPISODE OF THE FITSPRO PODCAST PLEASE HEAD OVER TO APPLE PODCASTS, SUBSCRIBE, THROW UP FIVE STARS FOR YA GIRL, AND LEAVE A REVIEW IF YOU’RE FEELING EXTRA GENEROUS. YOU DUH BEST FOR REAL.]]>Annie Millerclean017 | What It Really Takes to Rehab from an Injuryhttps://anniemiller.co/017-what-it-really-takes-to-rehab-from-an-injury/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=017-what-it-really-takes-to-rehab-from-an-injury
Tue, 23 Apr 2019 01:00:36 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4511Having an injury sucks. We have likely all been there. If you have played a sport, are any level of adventurous or you're human, you've probably experienced pain and wanted it to go away.
Today's episode is AAALLLL ABOUT that. What it really takes to get through an injury and recover FULLY. Because we don't want to have pain forever right? I call those perma-injuries. The injuries that just nag, go away for a time, come back and annoy the sh*t out of you. We want to avoid those my friend.
In episode 17 I get REAL with you. A bit more soap boxy than I was hoping, but ya girl can't help herself. So, we dive deep into my lumbar disc injury (from squatting) and what the road to recover REALLY took. It's not easy, it's boring, and often monotonous but SO NECESSARY.
Fact of the matter is that there are too many practitioners out there who are what I call "cookie cutter." Really they just do what they learn in school - give you a paper with one size fits all exercises at 3x15-20 reps for 6 weeks and then you're done. It's ludicrous and I'm not about it. Which is why I share a different option with you inside today's podcast. You'll have to tune in to find out. Just know this...
I feel you and your injury sister. Which is why I give you some "must do's" if you find yourself in an injured state. So, if you've ever been injured, you are injured or you might get injured sometime in your human life, today's episode is for you.
If you love it, or if you support The FitsPRO Podcast, please head over to Apple Podcasts. Make sure to subscribe, give ya girl five stars and leave a review. You are so so so appreciated!Having an injury sucks. We have likely all been there. If you have played a sport, are any level of adventurous or you're human, you've probably experienced pain and wanted it to go away. Today's episode is AAALLLL ABOUT that.

Having an injury sucks. We have likely all been there. If you have played a sport, are any level of adventurous or you're human, you've probably experienced pain and wanted it to go away.

Today's episode is AAALLLL ABOUT that. What it really takes to get through an injury and recover FULLY. Because we don't want to have pain forever right? I call those perma-injuries. The injuries that just nag, go away for a time, come back and annoy the sh*t out of you. We want to avoid those my friend.

In episode 17 I get REAL with you. A bit more soap boxy than I was hoping, but ya girl can't help herself. So, we dive deep into my lumbar disc injury (from squatting) and what the road to recover REALLY took. It's not easy, it's boring, and often monotonous but SO NECESSARY.

Fact of the matter is that there are too many practitioners out there who are what I call "cookie cutter." Really they just do what they learn in school - give you a paper with one size fits all exercises at 3x15-20 reps for 6 weeks and then you're done. It's ludicrous and I'm not about it. Which is why I share a different option with you inside today's podcast. You'll have to tune in to find out. Just know this...

I feel you and your injury sister. Which is why I give you some "must do's" if you find yourself in an injured state. So, if you've ever been injured, you are injured or you might get injured sometime in your human life, today's episode is for you.

If you love it, or if you support The FitsPRO Podcast, please head over to Apple Podcasts. Make sure to subscribe, give ya girl five stars and leave a review. You are so so so appreciated! ]]>Annie Millerclean016 | Quarter Review + Planning [what worked & didn’t work]https://anniemiller.co/016-quarter-review-planning-what-worked-didnt-work/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=016-quarter-review-planning-what-worked-didnt-work
Tue, 16 Apr 2019 01:00:48 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4509Episode 16 of The FitsPRO Podcast is all about my first experience with quarterly planning in regards to my business. Although I've technically owned a business for four years, I NEVER did quarterly planning. In fact I'd never really heard of it until November 2018 when my friend Paige brought Amber McCue's Fresh Start Workbook and Planner to my attention.
I always did Hilary Rushford's yearly review + planning workshop and LOVE IT. But this quarterly planning sounded like just the thing I was looking for heading into 2019. Which would be my first year FULLY self employed.
I believe Amber's workbook is $37 or it was at the time. But there are TONS of options when it comes to quarterly planners. Amber's was downloadable which worked perfect for me as we were traveling the world. But if I was stateside I'd 100% get a pen and paper 90 day planner for entrepreneurs. So if you too love putting your pen to physical paper, I would either get Amber's workbook and PRINT IT OUT, or do some research and find on that suits your fancy.
The planner itself is of less importance than your intent and ability to IMPLEMENT the actual planning. This is where the magic happens. This is where MY MAGIC happened in quarter 1 of 2019. I reached goals, I didn't reach goals, I realized A LOT of things, and I'll get better and better each quarter.
I even use 30, 60, and 90 planning inside FitsPRO Foundations because it was so effective for me, I couldn't possibly keep it from my students. And I truly believe if I would have started quarterly planning earlier on in my business journey, I would have grown faster + learned a lot about myself. So whether you've been in the world of business for a hot minute, or you're a newb...I highly suggest you give this episode a listen, and start quarterly planning NOW.
If you loved this episode please head over to Apple Podcast, subscribe, rate and review The FitsPRO Podcast. It means the world to me. For Real.Episode 16 of The FitsPRO Podcast is all about my first experience with quarterly planning in regards to my business. Although I've technically owned a business for four years, I NEVER did quarterly planning.

Episode 16 of The FitsPRO Podcast is all about my first experience with quarterly planning in regards to my business. Although I've technically owned a business for four years, I NEVER did quarterly planning. In fact I'd never really heard of it until November 2018 when my friend Paige brought Amber McCue's Fresh Start Workbook and Planner to my attention.

I always did Hilary Rushford's yearly review + planning workshop and LOVE IT. But this quarterly planning sounded like just the thing I was looking for heading into 2019. Which would be my first year FULLY self employed.

I believe Amber's workbook is $37 or it was at the time. But there are TONS of options when it comes to quarterly planners. Amber's was downloadable which worked perfect for me as we were traveling the world. But if I was stateside I'd 100% get a pen and paper 90 day planner for entrepreneurs. So if you too love putting your pen to physical paper, I would either get Amber's workbook and PRINT IT OUT, or do some research and find on that suits your fancy.

The planner itself is of less importance than your intent and ability to IMPLEMENT the actual planning. This is where the magic happens. This is where MY MAGIC happened in quarter 1 of 2019. I reached goals, I didn't reach goals, I realized A LOT of things, and I'll get better and better each quarter.

I even use 30, 60, and 90 planning inside FitsPRO Foundations because it was so effective for me, I couldn't possibly keep it from my students. And I truly believe if I would have started quarterly planning earlier on in my business journey, I would have grown faster + learned a lot about myself. So whether you've been in the world of business for a hot minute, or you're a newb...I highly suggest you give this episode a listen, and start quarterly planning NOW.

If you loved this episode please head over to Apple Podcast, subscribe, rate and review The FitsPRO Podcast. It means the world to me. For Real.]]>Annie Millerclean015 | Building Momentum in Life, Biz, and Fitnesshttps://anniemiller.co/015-building-momentum-in-life-biz-and-fitness/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=015-building-momentum-in-life-biz-and-fitness
Fri, 12 Apr 2019 10:37:20 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4507We've all been there. You're in a rut, stuck, stagnant, or unmotivated to do the work you know you desperately need to get done. Whether it is in life, your business or your fitness journey, this rule of momentum applies.
In today's episode we dive into what these ruts, and unmotivated seasons look like and HOW to get the frick out them so you can start making some long term progress.
We break down the thought process into tiny pieces. Because, often, when we are stuck, we are also overwhelmed, things have piled up or we have a laundry list of things we could have done better running through our brains. We need to STOP, get that all out of our heads, and take baby steps.
In episode 15 I take you through three steps for your business and life as well as my tactic for being more consistent in the gym. It is all about momentum my friend. You have to get the semi started before we can get it rolling. And that is often the hardest part, but it is so so so worth doing.
Dive into today's episode and let me show you the way. You will relate I am sure + get some seriously helpful mindset tools so you can slay your life, biz and fitness gains.
If you like this episode or any of the FitsPRO Podcast episodes, please make your way over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe, rate and review. :) This gets my message into the ear of those who need it most. Thanks love!We've all been there. You're in a rut, stuck, stagnant, or unmotivated to do the work you know you desperately need to get done. Whether it is in life, your business or your fitness journey, this rule of momentum applies.

We've all been there. You're in a rut, stuck, stagnant, or unmotivated to do the work you know you desperately need to get done. Whether it is in life, your business or your fitness journey, this rule of momentum applies.

In today's episode we dive into what these ruts, and unmotivated seasons look like and HOW to get the frick out them so you can start making some long term progress.

We break down the thought process into tiny pieces. Because, often, when we are stuck, we are also overwhelmed, things have piled up or we have a laundry list of things we could have done better running through our brains. We need to STOP, get that all out of our heads, and take baby steps.

In episode 15 I take you through three steps for your business and life as well as my tactic for being more consistent in the gym. It is all about momentum my friend. You have to get the semi started before we can get it rolling. And that is often the hardest part, but it is so so so worth doing.

Dive into today's episode and let me show you the way. You will relate I am sure + get some seriously helpful mindset tools so you can slay your life, biz and fitness gains.

If you like this episode or any of the FitsPRO Podcast episodes, please make your way over to Apple Podcasts, subscribe, rate and review. :) This gets my message into the ear of those who need it most. Thanks love! ]]>Annie Millerclean014 | Should You Hire A Coach?https://anniemiller.co/014-should-you-hire-a-coach/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=014-should-you-hire-a-coach
Tue, 02 Apr 2019 01:00:25 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4381Should You Hire A Coach - The FITSPRO Podcast
Hiring a coach is a tough decision. And it’s likely a pretty hearty investment, of both your time and money. Which make . hiring a coach a hard decision.
This can be in regards to any aspect of life - business, fitness, spiritual, relationship, a tutor, whatever you might need.
So today I bring you three simple questions you can ask yourself to determine whether it’s time to hire a coach.
You'll need a pen and paper for this one my friend. We are helping you determine if now is the time to invest in help, or start searching for some.
Three simple questions to help you GET REAL with yourself. Maybe you don’t need a coach. But maybe you do and you’re making excuses or using finances as a road block. Finances are not a road block. I’ve seen people come up with the money like it was magic when they understand the value and change they are going to experience through a given program. I’ve seen cheer moms come up with thousands of dollars literally overnight in order to keep their kid in the sport they love.
So, do you need to hire a coach? Listen to today's episode and answer the questions in total honesty. You should end up with a pretty clear decision.
That’s all for today, if you find this episode helpful or insightful, please share it with your friends, subscribe, rate and review The FITSPRO Podcast. That is how I get my message in front of all the humans who would otherwise not know who the hell I am or what I am doing in this world. You is the microphone. Love you long time.
Until next Tuesday, thanks for tuning in to the FitsPRO podcast. You duh best.Should You Hire A Coach - The FITSPRO Podcast Hiring a coach is a tough decision. And it’s likely a pretty hearty investment, of both your time and money. Which make . hiring a coach a hard decision. This can be in regards to any aspect of life - bus...
Should You Hire A Coach - The FITSPRO Podcast
Hiring a coach is a tough decision. And it’s likely a pretty hearty investment, of both your time and money. Which make . hiring a coach a hard decision.
This can be in regards to any aspect of life - business, fitness, spiritual, relationship, a tutor, whatever you might need.
So today I bring you three simple questions you can ask yourself to determine whether it’s time to hire a coach.
You'll need a pen and paper for this one my friend. We are helping you determine if now is the time to invest in help, or start searching for some.
Three simple questions to help you GET REAL with yourself. Maybe you don’t need a coach. But maybe you do and you’re making excuses or using finances as a road block. Finances are not a road block. I’ve seen people come up with the money like it was magic when they understand the value and change they are going to experience through a given program. I’ve seen cheer moms come up with thousands of dollars literally overnight in order to keep their kid in the sport they love.
So, do you need to hire a coach? Listen to today's episode and answer the questions in total honesty. You should end up with a pretty clear decision.
That’s all for today, if you find this episode helpful or insightful, please share it with your friends, subscribe, rate and review The FITSPRO Podcast. That is how I get my message in front of all the humans who would otherwise not know who the hell I am or what I am doing in this world. You is the microphone. Love you long time.
Until next Tuesday, thanks for tuning in to the FitsPRO podcast. You duh best.]]>Annie Millerclean013 | The Truth About Your Trainerhttps://anniemiller.co/013-the-truth-about-your-trainer/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=013-the-truth-about-your-trainer
Tue, 26 Mar 2019 01:00:55 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4379The Truth About Your Trainer - The FITSPRO Podcast
This is fueled by a bit of a rant but I hope it doesn't sound like one. We’ll see. This really goes out to the trainers feeling guilty, not good enough or like the need to do xyz to reach some epitome of being a trainer.
You share your salads but hide the sour patch kids you ate for lunch yesterday, feel like people are judging if you haven’t posted a workout in 7+ days and like if you admit to any of the REAL shit that happens that you will no longer be credible and people won’t want to work with you. YOU can’t even be perfect why would they trust you?
All BS, I’m calling it.
And I am not above this by the way. There are plenty of days that I make a decision to do "x" when I know I should have done "y." But you know what. That doesn’t make me a bad or unworthy coach. That makes me a RELATABLE one. And yes, those times get further and far between. Which is the goal right? PROGRESS is the goal.
Share those times with your people! Let them know in fact you DO NOT have it all together - that you eat chocolate and miss workouts and choose to nap instead of lift or whatever.
Use that to relate to and teach your following.
I BELIEVE so hard that coaches need to walk the walk. You should 100% be striving for the lifestyle you preach or following the philosophy you teach. But that doesn’t mean you will be or need to be perfect all the time. The struggle is part of REAL life. It’s part of the process. And the feelings of shame need to be removed from both parties. The coach and the trainee.
And to the trainees out there.
Your trainer or coach is a H U M A N. They are a human. Humans who just know more than you. They are educated in a specific area of science and the human body. But they have bad habits and struggles. Yes, they eat gummy bears, and cookies and miss workouts, and feel like shit sometimes. The good ones keep showing up, are honest, and don’t change the value of their service based on these habits and struggles and truths. That’s what you need to look for. Mmmmk?
And to those holding ridiculous and meaningless standards of fitness professionals, stop it and check ya damn self. Know what to look for and what ACTUALLY matters when searching for a valuable coach.
That's really today's episode in a nutshell. Tune in for a quick FITSPRO Podcast today. If you dig it, please subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. It truly means the world to me!The Truth About Your Trainer - The FITSPRO Podcast This is fueled by a bit of a rant but I hope it doesn't sound like one. We’ll see. This really goes out to the trainers feeling guilty, not good enough or like the need to do xyz to reach some epitome...
The Truth About Your Trainer - The FITSPRO Podcast
This is fueled by a bit of a rant but I hope it doesn't sound like one. We’ll see. This really goes out to the trainers feeling guilty, not good enough or like the need to do xyz to reach some epitome of being a trainer.
You share your salads but hide the sour patch kids you ate for lunch yesterday, feel like people are judging if you haven’t posted a workout in 7+ days and like if you admit to any of the REAL shit that happens that you will no longer be credible and people won’t want to work with you. YOU can’t even be perfect why would they trust you?
All BS, I’m calling it.
And I am not above this by the way. There are plenty of days that I make a decision to do "x" when I know I should have done "y." But you know what. That doesn’t make me a bad or unworthy coach. That makes me a RELATABLE one. And yes, those times get further and far between. Which is the goal right? PROGRESS is the goal.
Share those times with your people! Let them know in fact you DO NOT have it all together - that you eat chocolate and miss workouts and choose to nap instead of lift or whatever.
Use that to relate to and teach your following.
I BELIEVE so hard that coaches need to walk the walk. You should 100% be striving for the lifestyle you preach or following the philosophy you teach. But that doesn’t mean you will be or need to be perfect all the time. The struggle is part of REAL life. It’s part of the process. And the feelings of shame need to be removed from both parties. The coach and the trainee.

And to the trainees out there.
Your trainer or coach is a H U M A N. They are a human. Humans who just know more than you. They are educated in a specific area of science and the human body. But they have bad habits and struggles. Yes, they eat gummy bears, and cookies and miss workouts, and feel like shit sometimes. The good ones keep showing up, are honest, and don’t change the value of their service based on these habits and struggles and truths. That’s what you need to look for. Mmmmk?
And to those holding ridiculous and meaningless standards of fitness professionals, stop it and check ya damn self. Know what to look for and what ACTUALLY matters when searching for a valuable coach.
That's really today's episode in a nutshell. Tune in for a quick FITSPRO Podcast today. If you dig it, please subscribe, rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts. It truly means the world to me!]]>Annie Millerclean012 | Best Personality Tests + A Word of Cautionhttps://anniemiller.co/012-best-personality-tests-a-word-of-caution/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=012-best-personality-tests-a-word-of-caution
Tue, 19 Mar 2019 01:00:16 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4377Best Personality Tests + A word of advice - The FITSPRO PODCAST
Personality tests are amazing. I personally love them and think they provide insight to the individual to help them better understand themselves AND others. In my opinion the more we can learn about ourselves, the more grace we can have for other humans.
Today I want to share a few of my favorites, and address a potential issue with using personality tests in our quest for personal development.
Personality test can be incredibly useful for all aspects of life. In relationships, in the workplace, as an entrepreneur or coach and even as a client. I in fact have my clients take a personality test upon applying for one on one training with me because it helps me understand what type of person I am working with upfront without having to go through trial and error.
We cover each of these in today's episode, but my favorites are:
Myers Briggs
I am an ISTJ while Nate and my good friend Page are ENFPs. There are twelve possibilities and you'll find out what those letters stand for if you tune in to the podcast. You do have to pay $47 to take this test.
The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin
There are free and paid versions as well as a book that goes along with this one. You’ll find out whether you’re an upholder, questioner, obliger or a rebel. I am a questioner with upholder tendencies. I need to know why I am doing something or why I’m being asked to do something. If I trust someone and their philosophy I will literally do whatever they say. I’m loyal AF. And I don’t need any outside accountability to do something I want to do. That’s the upholder portion. If I say I’ll do something or set my mind to something, you better believe it’s happening. I think that’s where my mantra “make it happen” comes from. And someday that might just be the name of my book. We’ll see.
the flag page test
Nate and I took this test in our premarital counseling, and it’s one of my favorites to this day. It is quite an extensive test and does cost money, but at the end you figure out what country you are from (perfect country, control country, fun country or peace country), what words make you feel appreciated, loved, and motivated, and which words tear you down, make you feel unloved or un-appreciated, and demotivate you. You’re also told your top five personality traits, and how your personality shows up in different areas of your life. So you can see where this one would be highly beneficial for the partnership of some kind, in our case it was marriage.
I was from perfect country, with control country as a close second. This means I like things done MY way and I 100% think my way is the best way. I have a really hard time doing something someone else’s way if I think i have a better way.
Nate was like 75% fun country and control was his next one.
My words were loyal, dependable, courageous, hard worker and something else.
Nate’s were caring, friendly, hard worker, relationships and Humor. clearly people, relationships and fun are his gifts.
Like I said, we got a straight ebook at the end with the breakdown of all these sections, so it’s well worth the cost.
the enneagram test
This is a relatively quick test, there are free and paid versions, and you get a number one through nine with an exclamation of how your personality functions in life.
Not super surprising I am a number 8 on the enneagram - the challenger. The description is very similar to that of an upholder and questionnaire from the for tendencies quiz.
These are my fav and most impactful personality tests. In today's episode I also dive into a potential issue with personality tests and how I think we can avoid sinking into this pitfall.
Check it all out in episode #12 of The FITSPRO Podcast
If you like this episode, or want to support the podcast and my message, please head to apple podcasts and give me five stars, subscribe and leave a review. You are truly the best!Best Personality Tests + A word of advice - The FITSPRO PODCAST Personality tests are amazing. I personally love them and think they provide insight to the individual to help them better understand themselves AND others.
Best Personality Tests + A word of advice - The FITSPRO PODCAST
Personality tests are amazing. I personally love them and think they provide insight to the individual to help them better understand themselves AND others. In my opinion the more we can learn about ourselves, the more grace we can have for other humans.
Today I want to share a few of my favorites, and address a potential issue with using personality tests in our quest for personal development.
Personality test can be incredibly useful for all aspects of life. In relationships, in the workplace, as an entrepreneur or coach and even as a client. I in fact have my clients take a personality test upon applying for one on one training with me because it helps me understand what type of person I am working with upfront without having to go through trial and error.
We cover each of these in today's episode, but my favorites are:

Myers Briggs
I am an ISTJ while Nate and my good friend Page are ENFPs. There are twelve possibilities and you'll find out what those letters stand for if you tune in to the podcast. You do have to pay $47 to take this test.The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin
There are free and paid versions as well as a book that goes along with this one. You’ll find out whether you’re an upholder, questioner, obliger or a rebel. I am a questioner with upholder tendencies. I need to know why I am doing something or why I’m being asked to do something. If I trust someone and their philosophy I will literally do whatever they say. I’m loyal AF. And I don’t need any outside accountability to do something I want to do. That’s the upholder portion. If I say I’ll do something or set my mind to something, you better believe it’s happening. I think that’s where my mantra “make it happen” comes from. And someday that might just be the name of my book. We’ll see.

the flag page test
Nate and I took this test in our premarital counseling, and it’s one of my favorites to this day. It is quite an extensive test and does cost money, but at the end you figure out what country you are from (perfect country, control country, fun country or peace country), what words make you feel appreciated, loved, and motivated, and which words tear you down, make you feel unloved or un-appreciated, and demotivate you. You’re also told your top five personality traits, and how your personality shows up in different areas of your life. So you can see where this one would be highly beneficial for the partnership of some kind, in our case it was marriage.
I was from perfect country, with control country as a close second. This means I like things done MY way and I 100% think my way is the best way. I have a really hard time doing something someone else’s way if I think i have a better way.
Nate was like 75% fun country and control was his next one.
My words were loyal, dependable, courageous, hard worker and something else.
Nate’s were caring, friendly, hard worker, relationships and Humor. clearly people, relationships and fun are his gifts.
Like I said, we got a straight ebook at the end with the breakdown of all these sections, so it’s well worth the cost.

the enneagram test
This is a relatively quick test, there are free and paid versions, and you get a number one through nine with an exclamation of how your personality functions in life.
Not super surprising I am a number 8 on the enneagram - the challenger. The description is very similar to that of an upholder and questionnaire from the for tendencies quiz.
These are my fav and most impactful personality tests. In today's episode I also dive into a potential issue with personality tests and ...]]>Annie Millerclean011 | The 5 Basics of Training & Programminghttps://anniemiller.co/011-the-5-basics-of-training-programming/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=011-the-5-basics-of-training-programming
Tue, 12 Mar 2019 01:00:23 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4374The 5 Basics of Training & Programming
As a trainee and trainer you should have a base understanding of what should be included in your training or programming. That's what we dive into in episode 11 of The FitsPRO Podcast.
The five basics cover planes of movement, fundamental patters, the hierarchy of needs, energy systems development and goals + restrictions.
You should be able to ask your trainer about all five of these basics. Even if they don't have all of the answers. And trainers, you should AT LEAST grasp the basics of each of these. Because they are after all...THE BASICS.
I don't think trainers need to have all the answers. But I do hold them to a certain standard. And that standard is covered in today's episode. Does your program or trainer include all planes of movement? Do you know what they are? What order they should happen in?
Do you know the five fundamental movement patterns and practices? And how often you should do each?
Does your program progress in or take into consideration the hierarchy of needs (exercise style)? Have you been assessed or do you assess your clients accordingly?
Does your program or programming include conditioning? If so, what is the purpose? Does it follow or target a certain energy system? Do you know what those are? Or why you would want to target different ones?
And are you taking goals and restrictions into consideration? Training with no goal probs won't get you where you want to go. And if you don't take injuries, mobility and other possible restrictions into account, you're bound to end up more injured or dissatisfied at best with the results of your training.
Tune into today's episode to learn a bit about each of these topics + why they make up my five basics of training and programming.
And of course, if you like this podcast or find it valuable, please please please subscribe, leave a review and rate the podcast over on apple podcasts. You duh best.The 5 Basics of Training & Programming As a trainee and trainer you should have a base understanding of what should be included in your training or programming. That's what we dive into in episode 11 of The FitsPRO Podcast. -
The 5 Basics of Training & Programming
As a trainee and trainer you should have a base understanding of what should be included in your training or programming. That's what we dive into in episode 11 of The FitsPRO Podcast.

The five basics cover planes of movement, fundamental patters, the hierarchy of needs, energy systems development and goals + restrictions.

You should be able to ask your trainer about all five of these basics. Even if they don't have all of the answers. And trainers, you should AT LEAST grasp the basics of each of these. Because they are after all...THE BASICS.

I don't think trainers need to have all the answers. But I do hold them to a certain standard. And that standard is covered in today's episode. Does your program or trainer include all planes of movement? Do you know what they are? What order they should happen in?

Do you know the five fundamental movement patterns and practices? And how often you should do each?

Does your program progress in or take into consideration the hierarchy of needs (exercise style)? Have you been assessed or do you assess your clients accordingly?

Does your program or programming include conditioning? If so, what is the purpose? Does it follow or target a certain energy system? Do you know what those are? Or why you would want to target different ones?

And are you taking goals and restrictions into consideration? Training with no goal probs won't get you where you want to go. And if you don't take injuries, mobility and other possible restrictions into account, you're bound to end up more injured or dissatisfied at best with the results of your training.

Tune into today's episode to learn a bit about each of these topics + why they make up my five basics of training and programming.

And of course, if you like this podcast or find it valuable, please please please subscribe, leave a review and rate the podcast over on apple podcasts. You duh best.]]>Annie Millerclean010 | Should You Be An Entrepreneur?https://anniemiller.co/010-should-you-be-an-entrepreneur/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=010-should-you-be-an-entrepreneur
Fri, 08 Mar 2019 12:27:43 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4372Should you be an entrepreneur?
In today's episode we go over reasons to become an entrepreneur and reasons that SHOULD NOT be the driving force behind starting your entrepreneurial journey.
Take the six minutes in this podcast to find out whether your not your motive is worthy of being an entrepreneur. It's more than wanting freedom, or less stress, or more money my friend. So so much more.
Running a business is not for everyone. I didn't even know it was for me when I started. But you will find out soon enough.
Entrepreneur-ing to me is about heart, grit and your beliefs. Being realistic is SUPER important when it comes to expectations and the WORK. I think it’s admirable to be unrealistic with the dreaming aspect of entrepreneurship, but REALISTIC about the work and time it might take.
So, should you be an entrepreneur? I don’t know, but I hope the short episode made it a bit more clear to you. And hey, nothing will make it more clear to you than just being an entrepreneur. You’ll find out reasonably quick if it’s for you or not.
Listen to today's super short episode to gain some insight.
If you find value in this episode or any FitsPRO Podcast episode, remember to subscribe, rate and review the podcast over on apple podcasts. You duh best.Should you be an entrepreneur? In today's episode we go over reasons to become an entrepreneur and reasons that SHOULD NOT be the driving force behind starting your entrepreneurial journey. Take the six minutes in this podcast to find out whether you...
Should you be an entrepreneur?
In today's episode we go over reasons to become an entrepreneur and reasons that SHOULD NOT be the driving force behind starting your entrepreneurial journey.
Take the six minutes in this podcast to find out whether your not your motive is worthy of being an entrepreneur. It's more than wanting freedom, or less stress, or more money my friend. So so much more.

Running a business is not for everyone. I didn't even know it was for me when I started. But you will find out soon enough.
Entrepreneur-ing to me is about heart, grit and your beliefs. Being realistic is SUPER important when it comes to expectations and the WORK. I think it’s admirable to be unrealistic with the dreaming aspect of entrepreneurship, but REALISTIC about the work and time it might take.
So, should you be an entrepreneur? I don’t know, but I hope the short episode made it a bit more clear to you. And hey, nothing will make it more clear to you than just being an entrepreneur. You’ll find out reasonably quick if it’s for you or not.
Listen to today's super short episode to gain some insight.

If you find value in this episode or any FitsPRO Podcast episode, remember to subscribe, rate and review the podcast over on apple podcasts. You duh best.]]>Annie Millerclean009 | The Importance of Accountability to Selfhttps://anniemiller.co/009-the-importance-of-accountability-to-self/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=009-the-importance-of-accountability-to-self
Tue, 26 Feb 2019 01:00:49 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4315
The FitsPRO Podcast episode nine is for ALL HUMAN BEINGS.
The subject of accountability to self has been coming up with my 1:1 clients and other relationships in my life. It's something I feel passionately about because I see the joyous power it can have in YOUR LIFE.
Today's episode dives into what accountability to self is, why it's so important, and how you can become better at it. I give you three steps to identify and practice this new found accountability. And if I am being honest, I get pretty sassy in this one.
Ya girl simply has some feels in regards to this topic.
So if you have something you've been wanting to do and can't seem to get it done; or a goal you've set over and over and over but have yet to complete it, this one's for you.
And before you go on thinking this podcast episode is only for BIG scary goals, it is quite the opposite. Accountability to self starts with the LITTLEST things my friend.
You'll see what I mean when you listen to episode nine.
Give it a listen!
If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That’s how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it’s precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo. - The FitsPRO Podcast episode nine is for ALL HUMAN BEINGS. - The subject of accountability to self has been coming up with my 1:1 clients and other relationships in my life. It's something I feel passionately about because I see the joyous power i...

The FitsPRO Podcast episode nine is for ALL HUMAN BEINGS.

The subject of accountability to self has been coming up with my 1:1 clients and other relationships in my life. It's something I feel passionately about because I see the joyous power it can have in YOUR LIFE.

Today's episode dives into what accountability to self is, why it's so important, and how you can become better at it. I give you three steps to identify and practice this new found accountability. And if I am being honest, I get pretty sassy in this one.

Ya girl simply has some feels in regards to this topic.

So if you have something you've been wanting to do and can't seem to get it done; or a goal you've set over and over and over but have yet to complete it, this one's for you.

And before you go on thinking this podcast episode is only for BIG scary goals, it is quite the opposite. Accountability to self starts with the LITTLEST things my friend.

You'll see what I mean when you listen to episode nine.

Give it a listen!

If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That’s how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it’s precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.]]>Annie Millerclean008 | How To Generate Sales From Instagramhttps://anniemiller.co/008-how-to-generate-income-from-instagram/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=008-how-to-generate-income-from-instagram
Tue, 19 Feb 2019 01:00:22 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4308The FitsPRO Podcast episode eight is for literally anyone who listens to anything I have to say on any platform anywhere.
Oh, instagram. It's the place where we go to think everyone else's lives are better than ours. More put together, more financially stable, with cuter coffee shops, and dogs, and a make up artist, and the list goes on.
I love instagram. I think like any influencer I have a love-hate relationship with it. But we can't deny that it is an essential tool for online business owners. And you CAN 100% general most if not all of your sales from the world of instagram.
Today's episode is not a map to quick results. It is me, coaching you through how to RE-DO your approach to instagram. These tips and tricks are from myself and experts in the field. You already know I am a huge advocate for giving credit. So see the people to follow in the resource section below.
We break down your:
Bio
Caption purpose and structure
DM's and why they are literally LIFE (plus I share some of the ways you may not even notice I've used these)
Your stories
The key to it all...maybe you know, maybe you don't. Find out by tuning in my friend.
Go ahead and pop your earbuds in, grab a pen and paper for this one, and listen to today's episode! You will want to take notes during this one.
When you're done listening, I AM FOR REAL. Audit your own IG, apply the tools I share in this episode and watch the interaction rise. THIS is what leads to sales boo boo.
Resources
I did not become "good at instagram" by muh-damn-self. I've taken courses, free e-books, webinars and most importantly, I have APPLIED what I have learned! So these are some IG experts, from copy-writing, to the algorithm to sales. Follow these humans and do what they say. These women will not tell you to post info graphics or educational content. YOU get to decide what TYPE of content you post. But they will help you hone in on your voice, the problems you solve, and making the sale.
Chalene Johnson @chalenejohnson
Rachel Turner @rachelturnercoach
Rachel Bell @rachelbell
Amanda Bucci @amandabucci
If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That's how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it's precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.The FitsPRO Podcast episode eight is for literally anyone who listens to anything I have to say on any platform anywhere. - Oh, instagram. It's the place where we go to think everyone else's lives are better than ours. More put together,
The FitsPRO Podcast episode eight is for literally anyone who listens to anything I have to say on any platform anywhere.

Oh, instagram. It's the place where we go to think everyone else's lives are better than ours. More put together, more financially stable, with cuter coffee shops, and dogs, and a make up artist, and the list goes on.

I love instagram. I think like any influencer I have a love-hate relationship with it. But we can't deny that it is an essential tool for online business owners. And you CAN 100% general most if not all of your sales from the world of instagram.

Today's episode is not a map to quick results. It is me, coaching you through how to RE-DO your approach to instagram. These tips and tricks are from myself and experts in the field. You already know I am a huge advocate for giving credit. So see the people to follow in the resource section below.

We break down your:

Bio

Caption purpose and structure

DM's and why they are literally LIFE (plus I share some of the ways you may not even notice I've used these)

Your stories

The key to it all...maybe you know, maybe you don't. Find out by tuning in my friend.

Go ahead and pop your earbuds in, grab a pen and paper for this one, and listen to today's episode! You will want to take notes during this one.

When you're done listening, I AM FOR REAL. Audit your own IG, apply the tools I share in this episode and watch the interaction rise. THIS is what leads to sales boo boo.
Resources
I did not become "good at instagram" by muh-damn-self. I've taken courses, free e-books, webinars and most importantly, I have APPLIED what I have learned! So these are some IG experts, from copy-writing, to the algorithm to sales. Follow these humans and do what they say. These women will not tell you to post info graphics or educational content. YOU get to decide what TYPE of content you post. But they will help you hone in on your voice, the problems you solve, and making the sale.

If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That's how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it's precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.]]>Annie Millerclean007 | Instagram Audience Q&Ahttps://anniemiller.co/007-instagram-audience-qa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=007-instagram-audience-qa
Tue, 12 Feb 2019 01:00:35 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4306The FitsPRO Podcast episode seven is for literally anyone who listens to anything I have to say on any platform anywhere.
I love the idea of question and answer sessions because it's when the people get to hear what they REALLY want to hear. They quite literally get their questions answered by who they want them answered by. That's what goes down in today's episode.
Although I would have liked to be in a coffee shop with you, just sipping lattes and chatting about life, weights, the struggle bus, and dreams, this whole Q&A session via the inter-web will have to suffice for now. I hope you do want to have coffee someday, however.
So, I posted on IG a while back asking my audience what they wanted me to answer on the podcast.
The questions I received were great, so this made for a fun and hopefully informative episode on the FitsPRO.
Just to give you some background, we cover the following topics:
Food: go to snacks + struggles of traveling and diet
Fav blogs, books and experts
Blogs: 8 weeks out, T Nation
Books: Starting Strength, Catalyst athletics Programming, Ultimate MMA Conditioning, Wendler 531, The Juggernaut Method.
IG: @docjenfit @moveu_official @activeliferx @dr.jacob.harden @squatuniversity @strengthcaochtherapy
Certifications vs education for trainers (from the trainee and trainer perspective)
My view of Crossfit
The challenges of traveling (jet-lag, having a schedule [or lack there of], diet and exercise)
Comparison of diet and exercise
Tips for increasing pull up volume
Training age and programming necessary as training age increases
and more
Find out what I have to say about these topics in today's episode! I can get a little passionate sometimes. But hey, passion is good right?
Resources
Because this episode covers a wide array of topics, please click the links below to venture deeper into the topics that interest you most. :)
Travel
Business
Fitness
Personal
Nutrition
If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That's how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it's precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.The FitsPRO Podcast episode seven is for literally anyone who listens to anything I have to say on any platform anywhere. - I love the idea of question and answer sessions because it's when the people get to hear what they REALLY want to hear.
The FitsPRO Podcast episode seven is for literally anyone who listens to anything I have to say on any platform anywhere.

I love the idea of question and answer sessions because it's when the people get to hear what they REALLY want to hear. They quite literally get their questions answered by who they want them answered by. That's what goes down in today's episode.

Although I would have liked to be in a coffee shop with you, just sipping lattes and chatting about life, weights, the struggle bus, and dreams, this whole Q&A session via the inter-web will have to suffice for now. I hope you do want to have coffee someday, however.

So, I posted on IG a while back asking my audience what they wanted me to answer on the podcast.

The questions I received were great, so this made for a fun and hopefully informative episode on the FitsPRO.

The challenges of traveling (jet-lag, having a schedule [or lack there of], diet and exercise)

Comparison of diet and exercise

Tips for increasing pull up volume

Training age and programming necessary as training age increases

and more

Find out what I have to say about these topics in today's episode! I can get a little passionate sometimes. But hey, passion is good right?
Resources
Because this episode covers a wide array of topics, please click the links below to venture deeper into the topics that interest you most. :)

If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That's how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it's precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.]]>Annie Millerclean006 | 3 Game Changing Entrepreneurial Questionshttps://anniemiller.co/006-3-game-changing-entrepreneurial-questions/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=006-3-game-changing-entrepreneurial-questions
Tue, 05 Feb 2019 01:00:38 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4304The FitsPRO Podcast episode six is for my fellow fitspros, biz owners or those who WANT to own their own business.
I never set out to be a business owner. In fact I prefer working on a team, behind the scenes. But here I am, four years deep with A LOT of lessons learned, and more to come.
Today I share my three most impactful questions I think every entrepreneur or aspiring entrepreneur needs to ask themselves....over and over and over again throughout their years of business.
These questions are 0% my own. I didn't make them up, they are not my ah-ha moments. I got them from books, mentors and courses.
I have read plenty of business books, I've taken all the courses, and while those things are great, I want to save you some time. Ask yourself these three questions TUH-DAY. Or set aside time to do so. Make it a priority because they are LITERALLY game changing questions.
You're going to need to be aware of your biggest fears and your biggest dreams and goals. Like I said, this will take time and I want you to ACTUALLY answer these. So if you can't answer them as you're listening to the podcast, that's fine. But block out an hour or two for you to dive into these questions.
The goal is to DIVE DEEP. To come up with REAL, possibly scary, but highly impactful answers. I am excited for you.
With all that said, go ahead and listen to episode number six of The FitsPRO Podcast and let me know what you come up with!
Resources
Books mentioned in the podcast. Questions came from both of these.
Essentialism
The Four Hour Work Week
If you don't know who you help or how you help them, then please please please consider filling out my Ideal Client Avatar Creator. And if you need further assistance, keep an eye out for when I open enrollment for Biz Talk Power Hour or my FitsPRO Foundations Biz course.The FitsPRO Podcast episode six is for my fellow fitspros, biz owners or those who WANT to own their own business. - I never set out to be a business owner. In fact I prefer working on a team, behind the scenes. But here I am,
The FitsPRO Podcast episode six is for my fellow fitspros, biz owners or those who WANT to own their own business.

I never set out to be a business owner. In fact I prefer working on a team, behind the scenes. But here I am, four years deep with A LOT of lessons learned, and more to come.

Today I share my three most impactful questions I think every entrepreneur or aspiring entrepreneur needs to ask themselves....over and over and over again throughout their years of business.

These questions are 0% my own. I didn't make them up, they are not my ah-ha moments. I got them from books, mentors and courses.

I have read plenty of business books, I've taken all the courses, and while those things are great, I want to save you some time. Ask yourself these three questions TUH-DAY. Or set aside time to do so. Make it a priority because they are LITERALLY game changing questions.

You're going to need to be aware of your biggest fears and your biggest dreams and goals. Like I said, this will take time and I want you to ACTUALLY answer these. So if you can't answer them as you're listening to the podcast, that's fine. But block out an hour or two for you to dive into these questions.

The goal is to DIVE DEEP. To come up with REAL, possibly scary, but highly impactful answers. I am excited for you.

With all that said, go ahead and listen to episode number six of The FitsPRO Podcast and let me know what you come up with!
Resources
Books mentioned in the podcast. Questions came from both of these.

If you don't know who you help or how you help them, then please please please consider filling out my Ideal Client Avatar Creator. And if you need further assistance, keep an eye out for when I open enrollment for Biz Talk Power Hour or my FitsPRO Foundations Biz course.]]>Annie Millerclean005 | Planning To Travel The World For a Yearhttps://anniemiller.co/005-planning-to-travel-the-world-for-a-year/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=005-planning-to-travel-the-world-for-a-year
Tue, 29 Jan 2019 01:00:28 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4300The FitsPRO Podcast episode five is not about fitness or business but a huge part of my life in 2018/2019. WORLD TRAVEL.
If you're looking for fitness tips today is not your podcast. If you're curious about what it took for Nate and I to pack our bags and make the world our home for a year then this is DEF the episode for you.
I am a bit long winded in this one because there is A LOT to cover when you plan to be a digital nomad. People make it seem like you just pack up, sell everything and take up. #notthecase.
In today's episode we cover:
Types of travelers
Accommodations
Location decisions
Timing of seasons (tourist and whether)
Booking
What to do with your things back home
The logistics (vaccinations, visas and proof of departure)
Like I said, I ramble a bit in this one, but it's worth listening to if you are AT ALL curious about the "how" behind traveling the world for one year.
Grab your coffee or fold your laundry and listen to episode five of The FitsPRO Podcast.
Resources
I mention these websites in the podcast as ways to prepare for a year of world travel. These are helpful really for ANY international travel whether you're staying for three days or multiple years.
Accommodations
Airbnb
booking.com
Agoda.com
Logistics
Centers for Disease Control
Visa info for Americans
Flight options
Rome2rio (travel routes)
Best Travel Credit Card: Chase Sapphire Reserve
Travel insurance (not mentioned in the podcast but totally should have). We got the highest option because we wanted to make sure all of our equipment, travel, and medical was covered.
If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That's how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it's precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.The FitsPRO Podcast episode five is not about fitness or business but a huge part of my life in 2018/2019. WORLD TRAVEL. - If you're looking for fitness tips today is not your podcast. If you're curious about what it took for Nate and I to pack our ba...
The FitsPRO Podcast episode five is not about fitness or business but a huge part of my life in 2018/2019. WORLD TRAVEL.

If you're looking for fitness tips today is not your podcast. If you're curious about what it took for Nate and I to pack our bags and make the world our home for a year then this is DEF the episode for you.

I am a bit long winded in this one because there is A LOT to cover when you plan to be a digital nomad. People make it seem like you just pack up, sell everything and take up. #notthecase.

In today's episode we cover:

* Types of travelers
* Accommodations
* Location decisions
* Timing of seasons (tourist and whether)
* Booking
* What to do with your things back home
* The logistics (vaccinations, visas and proof of departure)

Like I said, I ramble a bit in this one, but it's worth listening to if you are AT ALL curious about the "how" behind traveling the world for one year.

Grab your coffee or fold your laundry and listen to episode five of The FitsPRO Podcast.
Resources
I mention these websites in the podcast as ways to prepare for a year of world travel. These are helpful really for ANY international travel whether you're staying for three days or multiple years.

Travel insurance (not mentioned in the podcast but totally should have). We got the highest option because we wanted to make sure all of our equipment, travel, and medical was covered.

If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That's how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it's precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.]]>Annie Millerclean004 | 3 Methods To Introduce “Heavy Lifting”https://anniemiller.co/004-3-methods-to-introduce-heavy-lifting/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=004-3-methods-to-introduce-heavy-lifting
Tue, 22 Jan 2019 01:00:22 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=4299The FitsPRO Podcast episode four is for trainers and trainees alike.
If you're into or have ever been into lifting weights, then you've likely had the desire to lift heavy. You've seen a girl on insta woman-handle a barbell, or you have a client who finally made that transition from cardio bunny to the free-weights section and now it's time. She's ready to start moving some heavier weight around.
But let's be honest. It can be scary to approach a heavy barbell with confidence. It's not easy to keep your cool, and it takes TIME and practice.
We must make clear that lifting heavy is in fact a SKILL. You have to train your body (or your client's body) to handle the stress of lifting heavy weights.
Today is the day I make this easier for you. #winning.
In this episode of The FitsPRO Podcast, I share my three favorite tactics, tips, and methods to getting a client both comfortable and physically prepared to begin lifting heavy.
The first of the three methods is known as WAVELOADING.
Ya girl is not the creator of this. But I also don't know who is. So if YOU DO, puh-lease drop me a comment or email and I will give credit.
Waveloading is a great way to progressively load the body with heavier and heavier weight each phase. The lifter will experience more sets in heavier ranges each phase. It works like this.
Start at 10,8,6,10,8,6. for one phase (this could be 2-4 weeks)
Then drop main sets to 8,6,4,8,6,4
Then to 7,5,3,7,5,3
6,4,2,6,4,2
5,3,1,5,3,1
3,2,1,3,2,1
As far as loading goes, you want to keep weight ranges between first and last sets under 20 pounds for upper body and under 15 for upper body.
Note also that the second wave starts at the MIDDLE of the first phase. Take squats for example.
10 reps @135
8 reps @145
6 reps @150
10 reps @145
8 reps @150
6 reps @ 155
You can see that in the first set of waveloading, the only "heavy set" is going to be the 6. Both the weight and the number of "heavy sets" increases as the weeks and phases progress. The total volume decreases and the loads increase. The client or you, should be getting stronger + more comfortable being under heavier and heavier loads.
This is a great way to gradually introducing heavy lifts without just jumping into 1, 3, or even 5RMs.
Find out my other two methods and tips for introducing heavy lifting in today's episode!
Resources
I use all of these methods within my programming. If you're interested in either BBA or 1:1 services, please click-it-y-click the links below.
Look into 1:1 Training with Annie
Check out Built By Annie
If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That's how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it's precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.The FitsPRO Podcast episode four is for trainers and trainees alike. - If you're into or have ever been into lifting weights, then you've likely had the desire to lift heavy. You've seen a girl on insta woman-handle a barbell,
The FitsPRO Podcast episode four is for trainers and trainees alike.

If you're into or have ever been into lifting weights, then you've likely had the desire to lift heavy. You've seen a girl on insta woman-handle a barbell, or you have a client who finally made that transition from cardio bunny to the free-weights section and now it's time. She's ready to start moving some heavier weight around.

But let's be honest. It can be scary to approach a heavy barbell with confidence. It's not easy to keep your cool, and it takes TIME and practice.

We must make clear that lifting heavy is in fact a SKILL. You have to train your body (or your client's body) to handle the stress of lifting heavy weights.

Today is the day I make this easier for you. #winning.

In this episode of The FitsPRO Podcast, I share my three favorite tactics, tips, and methods to getting a client both comfortable and physically prepared to begin lifting heavy.
The first of the three methods is known as WAVELOADING.
Ya girl is not the creator of this. But I also don't know who is. So if YOU DO, puh-lease drop me a comment or email and I will give credit.

Waveloading is a great way to progressively load the body with heavier and heavier weight each phase. The lifter will experience more sets in heavier ranges each phase. It works like this.

Start at 10,8,6,10,8,6. for one phase (this could be 2-4 weeks)

Then drop main sets to 8,6,4,8,6,4

Then to 7,5,3,7,5,3

6,4,2,6,4,2

5,3,1,5,3,1

3,2,1,3,2,1

As far as loading goes, you want to keep weight ranges between first and last sets under 20 pounds for upper body and under 15 for upper body.

Note also that the second wave starts at the MIDDLE of the first phase. Take squats for example.

You can see that in the first set of waveloading, the only "heavy set" is going to be the 6. Both the weight and the number of "heavy sets" increases as the weeks and phases progress. The total volume decreases and the loads increase. The client or you, should be getting stronger + more comfortable being under heavier and heavier loads.

This is a great way to gradually introducing heavy lifts without just jumping into 1, 3, or even 5RMs.

Find out my other two methods and tips for introducing heavy lifting in today's episode!
Resources
I use all of these methods within my programming. If you're interested in either BBA or 1:1 services, please click-it-y-click the links below.

If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That's how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it's precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.]]>Annie Millerclean003 | 11 Things I Wish I Knew In My First Year Of Bizhttps://anniemiller.co/003-11-things-i-wish-i-knew-in-my-first-year-of-biz/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=003-11-things-i-wish-i-knew-in-my-first-year-of-biz
Tue, 15 Jan 2019 01:00:06 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=3965The FitsPRO Podcast episode three is ALL ABOUT THE BIZ.
This one is for my entrepreneurs. Although this episode regards my first year of business, this is really great info for anyone who is dreaming of a business, has a side hustle or has been in business for years.
These 11 tips are applicable to anyone described above. They are essential to finding success, sanity, impact, and freedom. Which is why people start business.
Business is one of the most self-refining challenges of life if you happen choose that road. I know first hand what it's like to start with NOTHING. I mean zero percent, not a clue in the world what the hell I was doing. So far we're doing okay, and heading in the right direction.
I just want for you to believe that you can do this. But believing in you doesn't make things happen. Allowing you to learn from my mistakes + providing you with tools to succeed is how we make moves sister.
With that, I ask that you don't even listen to this episode if you don't intend to IMPLEMENT at least some of what I am sharing with you today. Which happens to be one of the 11 topics I cover. Don't waste your own time. But if you are serious and here to learn + implement, then I don't know what you're waiting for.
Grab your pen and paper, and dive in to episode three!
Resources
I mention in the podcast, favorite people and books. You can find those here.
Marie Forleo (B-School)
Hilary Rushford (Elegant Excellence)
The Four Hour Work Week
The Big Leap
Profit First
Essentialism
Get my Ideal Client Avatar Creator here
If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That's how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it's precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.The FitsPRO Podcast episode three is ALL ABOUT THE BIZ. - This one is for my entrepreneurs. Although this episode regards my first year of business, this is really great info for anyone who is dreaming of a business,
The FitsPRO Podcast episode three is ALL ABOUT THE BIZ.

This one is for my entrepreneurs. Although this episode regards my first year of business, this is really great info for anyone who is dreaming of a business, has a side hustle or has been in business for years.

These 11 tips are applicable to anyone described above. They are essential to finding success, sanity, impact, and freedom. Which is why people start business.

Business is one of the most self-refining challenges of life if you happen choose that road. I know first hand what it's like to start with NOTHING. I mean zero percent, not a clue in the world what the hell I was doing. So far we're doing okay, and heading in the right direction.

I just want for you to believe that you can do this. But believing in you doesn't make things happen. Allowing you to learn from my mistakes + providing you with tools to succeed is how we make moves sister.

With that, I ask that you don't even listen to this episode if you don't intend to IMPLEMENT at least some of what I am sharing with you today. Which happens to be one of the 11 topics I cover. Don't waste your own time. But if you are serious and here to learn + implement, then I don't know what you're waiting for.

Grab your pen and paper, and dive in to episode three!
Resources
I mention in the podcast, favorite people and books. You can find those here.

If you like the podcast, please leave a five star rating + a review! That's how other humans, just like you find The FitsPRO Podcast. And it's precisely how my message spreads. Thanks boo.]]>Annie Millerclean002 | 3 Tips To Get Better Results From Your Strength Traininghttps://anniemiller.co/002-3-tips-to-get-better-results-from-your-strength-training/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=002-3-tips-to-get-better-results-from-your-strength-training
Tue, 08 Jan 2019 01:00:28 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=3964In episode number two I give you three things you can apply TUH-DAY in order to improve your strength training. And ideally get better results. This is an episode for trainers, AND trainees alike.
Anyone who uses weights as a way to improve their body from a physical and functional standpoint will benefit from this podcast.
I go in depth on tempo, consistency, and one other big tip for making the most of your time in the gym. Don't simply read "tempo" and "consistency" and snuff them off. Like I said, I go in depth and give examples of what I am talking about. It's worth the listen. #trust
Learn more + find out the last tip when you listen to episode two of The FitsPRO Podcast.
If you love the episode, please share it! You, my friend, are my microphone. If you haven't yet, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast. It helps me and my message reach people who wouldn't find it otherwise.
Thanks, Let's do this!
In episode number two I give you three things you can apply TUH-DAY in order to improve your strength training. And ideally get better results. This is an episode for trainers, AND trainees alike. - Anyone who uses weights as a way to improve their bo...
In episode number two I give you three things you can apply TUH-DAY in order to improve your strength training. And ideally get better results. This is an episode for trainers, AND trainees alike.

Anyone who uses weights as a way to improve their body from a physical and functional standpoint will benefit from this podcast.

I go in depth on tempo, consistency, and one other big tip for making the most of your time in the gym. Don't simply read "tempo" and "consistency" and snuff them off. Like I said, I go in depth and give examples of what I am talking about. It's worth the listen. #trust

Learn more + find out the last tip when you listen to episode two of The FitsPRO Podcast.

If you love the episode, please share it! You, my friend, are my microphone. If you haven't yet, don't forget to subscribe, rate, and review the podcast. It helps me and my message reach people who wouldn't find it otherwise.

Thanks, Let's do this!

]]>Annie Millerclean20:17The FITSPRO Podcast Intro Episode – 001https://anniemiller.co/the-fitspro-podcast-intro-episode-001/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=the-fitspro-podcast-intro-episode-001
Wed, 12 Dec 2018 16:45:58 +0000https://anniemiller.co/?p=2854Welcome to the FITSPRO Podcast
Oooooo I have up and done it! Finally my baby is born; the FITSPRO podcast is born and ready for your virgin ears!
I feel that it is necessary for you to understand where I (the fitspro) came from, and why I am here, talking at you via this platform. THAT, is what you'll hear in episode #1. My fitness/entrepreneurial testimony in under 20 minutes.
You'll also get an idea of what is to come on the FITSPRO.
Why the name tho?
I suppose it is important for you to grasp the reasoning behind the name as well. And I don't touch on this, not obviously anyway, in this episode.
The fitspro was dreamt up in the car ride from Bologna, Italy to Split Croatia back in October, 2018. I knew I wanted to help gym lovers + fitpreneurs in the same knowledge + inspiring way I do through instagram and my Built By Annie program. I wanted to both educate + inspire. To be authentic yet professional, to elevate the field and humans of online fitness.
So, after a pretty intense brainstorm session of writing words like, educate, inspire, knowledge, professional, connection, elevate, real, authentic, authority, no BS, safe place, real talk...I said out loud, "I'm not your average fitspo." BAM that was it, I'm a fitsPRO. Yes, I am inspiring, but I pair that with professionalism and education. And I want to help others do the same...through this podcast.
This is just the beginning. I was nervous as heck to record this, figure out how to even start a podcast. But fam, we did it, and it's only up from here.
So take a listen, and let me know what you think!
Welcome to the FITSPRO Podcast - Oooooo I have up and done it! Finally my baby is born; the FITSPRO podcast is born and ready for your virgin ears! - I feel that it is necessary for you to understand where I (the fitspro) came from,
Oooooo I have up and done it! Finally my baby is born; the FITSPRO podcast is born and ready for your virgin ears!

I feel that it is necessary for you to understand where I (the fitspro) came from, and why I am here, talking at you via this platform. THAT, is what you'll hear in episode #1. My fitness/entrepreneurial testimony in under 20 minutes.

You'll also get an idea of what is to come on the FITSPRO.
Why the name tho?
I suppose it is important for you to grasp the reasoning behind the name as well. And I don't touch on this, not obviously anyway, in this episode.

The fitspro was dreamt up in the car ride from Bologna, Italy to Split Croatia back in October, 2018. I knew I wanted to help gym lovers + fitpreneurs in the same knowledge + inspiring way I do through instagram and my Built By Annie program. I wanted to both educate + inspire. To be authentic yet professional, to elevate the field and humans of online fitness.

So, after a pretty intense brainstorm session of writing words like, educate, inspire, knowledge, professional, connection, elevate, real, authentic, authority, no BS, safe place, real talk...I said out loud, "I'm not your average fitspo." BAM that was it, I'm a fitsPRO. Yes, I am inspiring, but I pair that with professionalism and education. And I want to help others do the same...through this podcast.

This is just the beginning. I was nervous as heck to record this, figure out how to even start a podcast. But fam, we did it, and it's only up from here.